Preventing Lumbar Pain

Pain in the lower back, or lumbar region, is experienced by around 80% of people at one time or another during their lives. The most common type is known as ‘non-specific’ lumbar pain, and as the name suggests, it’s not normally possible to attribute the pain to a specific cause; such as a trapped nerve, arthritis or slipped (herniated) disc.

In some cases the pain may be severe and spread from the lower back out to other areas of the body, such as the upper legs. The good news is that for most people, the pain will subside within a few days, although it may recur again at some point in the future. To help recovery, doctors used to recommend resting as much as possible. Nowadays however, they suggest exactly the opposite and research has shown that recovery is more rapid in people who continue with their normal lives and try to stay active as much as possible.

How to Prevent Lumbar Pain

There are a couple steps you can take to help prevent you suffering from lower back pain. Regular exercise will help keep your muscles in tone, which in turn assists in keeping your spine straight and correctly supported. Cycling, swimming and walking are all exercises that will improve fitness levels without straining your back.

Another recommendation is to ensure that your chairs offer proper lumbar support. If your existing chairs don’t provide the necessary support, there are many specially designed cushions and pillows which you can use. All lower back supports are designed to fill in the natural hollow left between the chair and your lower back. They are cheap and easy to carry with you if need be. Don’t ignore your car seat either; long car journeys can be a prime cause of back pain if the seat fails to provide adequate support. If you do regular heavy lifting, and particularly if you’ve suffered from lumbar pain before, it might be a good idea to consider wearing a lumbar support belt. They are available in a variety of different designs offering different widths and degrees of stiffness.

Back pain can be debilitating, and any measures you take to prevent it can pay dividends. Lumbar pain may be prevented by taking regular gentle exercise and ensuring you use an adequate lumbar support pillow or lumbar support chair when sitting down.