Back Ache Archives - SeniorNews

The importance of a good posture and how it does not limit to just having an impressive gait. Well, it does take some self-effort and attitude to improve your poor posture so you could live healthier and longer. Improving your posture improves health

It’s pretty saddening to see back and leg pain not only a senior’s complaint today but even the young guns suffer from it. Internet addiction, mobile phones, junk food, late night or insufficient sleep and various other reasons could be blamed. However, the question is whether our young children are ever going to change their posture and be the ideal generation for the future one. If not, we’re soon going to have the biggest killer of our population, putting behind cancer and smoking. Improving Posture Improves Health

What’s the big deal if I have a poor posture?

Seriously? Sure it will not kill you or something, but can your body really handle this…? And what if it does kill you? Improving Posture Improves Health

Repetitive pressure on your muscles can cause muscle spasms. Chronic stress on your ligaments and tendons can give birth to painful trigger points.
Joint degeneration and soft tissue injury (STI) are a surefire if weak posture is forcing other parts of your body to compensate.
If you’re not a fan of the Quasimodo character in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, you will want to avoid abnormal spine curvatures, such as kyphosis, which comes with poor posture. By the way, the condition is actually named as “Quasimodo back”.
Chronic headache and jaw or neck pain are common.
You don’t want to look dejected or pessimistic by slouching or stooping forward all the time. Having a negative self-image can also lead to depression and other mental problems.
Do you lean on your computer screen or hunch while typing? The way you sit and walk can really affect your digestion, blood circulation and breathing.

Okay, so how do I improve my posture?

That’s like it! If you don’t want to blow your desire to enjoy independent living in your older days, you’d especially monitor your “posture muscles” and “head alignment”. Keep your posture muscles on the rear of your legs active and strengthened with leg or lower back exercises. Also, keep your head up and shoulders back as you walk or sit straight enough to imitate the posture of someone who’s proud of his achievements the entire life.

First, accept you have a bad posture

Do you need to be told you have it? If yes, this is your confirmation: Improve your posture for Christ’s sake! Regularly check your posture by trial walking or sitting in front of a mirror or have someone observe you in your daily, natural posture when you’re not aware.

Move it!

The human body is designed to move, walk, jump and enjoy, not to sit for 8 hours in front of a computer screen. But you can’t help, that’s your bread and butter, and we doctors understand it. That’s why we recommend practicing simple stretches and exercises while taking short breaks in your work shift. It’s also not a bad idea to approach a physiotherapist to learn some good posture changes to manage pain.

Use an ergonomic work chair:

New things always come up in the market, but not all are good. However, ergonomic equipment such as this will help to maintain a good sitting posture as mentioned by physiotherapist Joanne Gough. Don’t forget to align the ‘G’ button of your keyboard with your belly button, sit right back filling the whole chair and adjust the chair height to have your knees somewhat lower than your buttocks. Improving Posture Improves Health

30 minutes, 5 days a week:

There’s a lot of hype around this. But it’s worth taking the challenge. The challenge? Improve your heart rate with a cardiovascular routine, which could be anything from Zumba to quick jog, of 30 minutes for 5 days in a week. Improving Posture Improves Health

Try a sports massage:

This will relieve pain in your neck and back due to years of incorrect posturing. Besides, it will help to determine the source of the pain so you could bring changes to your lifestyle and your posture. You need not be a sportsperson to be qualified for it, just find an experienced sports massage therapist to do the job. Improving Posture Improves Health
Leaving you with a tip:

Stronger muscles is key to enjoying a good posture. Invest in weight training, it will pay you off healthily and healthfully in the long run. Improving Posture Improves Health

Nature is full of remedies that can help reduce back pain. The remedies have been used by communities for centuries and have been tested and approved by the consequent generations. The senior members experience back pain due to various reasons.

The primary causes can be posture, food and inactivity. The senior member can learn to eat healthy foods and to do simple exercises to keep off back pain. Most of the exercises can be done even at the senior care at home and the results can be significant.

Consume anti-inflammatory drink daily

Anti-inflammatory drinks help to boost the production of pain-reducing agents in your body. If you regularly consume anti-inflammatory drinks, the agents build up in your body and significantly reduce your back pain.

The drinks also contain antioxidants, which help clean your blood, leaving your body better and healthier. Some of the anti-inflammatory drinks include turmeric milk, cherry juice, and green ginger tea. The anti-pain agents can also help fight cancer cells.

Keep a healthy weight

According to medical writers for an assignment help online, when body fat builds in your body and you gain weight considerably, the extra pounds exert more pressure on your hip and lower back muscles. If the pressure continues for long, your back develops pain, which at times can be severe.

Some of the foods that help increase weight in the body are high carbohydrate foods like sweet potatoes, bread and other wheat products. Try to avoid high starch food and eat more proteins and vitamins.

Take medications

Healthcare professionals can subscribe to medication that can help reduce back pain. The medication has an anti-inflammatory effect and if they are taken according to the health professional’s advice, they will positively work and help back pain reduction.

If it’s possible to avoid frequent medication and concentrate on natural methods, the result can be faster and lasting.

Do simple exercises

The senior member may not be able to do vigorous exercises, but simple exercises can help. One of the recommended exercises for seniors is walking at least 20 minutes a day. It will help relax the muscles around the hips. The heart will also be healthy because of an increased heartbeat.

There are other simple exercises the seniors can do like stretching, or bending and they will help relax the back and the muscles around the backbone. If the senior member makes simple exercise a routine, it can significantly reduce back pain.

Keep an upright posture

Posture is another contributing factor to back pain. When you are seated, try the best you can to keep an upright posture. You can use a pillow to support your back or use a seat with back support. Your back pain can increase if you sit leaning forward or sideways because you exert pressure on your spinal muscles.

When standing, do not bend forward or sideways. Instead, try your best to maintain an upright posture. It will help reduce your back pain.

Sleep on a good mattress

Manufacturers have studied human sleeping behavior and have produced some of the best orthopedic mattresses. They help keep your body in a better position when sleeping. A poor-quality mattress can lead to a lot of pain in your body, specifically on your back, which can lead to bone complications.

Always put a pillow under your head to ensure you are comfortable when sleeping. Another thing to consider is ensuring you get a good night’s sleep. Sleep at least 8 hours every day.

Try meditation

Meditation helps to connect your physical body to your soul and when the two connect, it is believed that healing is triggered in the body and can relieve pain. It can be hard if you are not used to meditation, but as you continue practicing, you can eventually stay in meditation for at least 40 minutes per day.

Take hot showers

A hot shower can help relax your muscles after a tedious day. The senior’s muscles can contract because of inactivity leading to back pain. If they take a hot shower in the evening, their muscles can relax and, in turn, reduce the level of back pain.

Massage your back

Body massage is believed to cause relaxation effects in the body. A smooth massage on the back will help relax your body and it can give the senior member a few days of relaxed muscles and thus less back pain.

Conclusion

Our back supports our body structure and it must be taken care of always. The senior member can be helped to take care of their back by being encouraged to eat right. The caregiver or family member can assist them in doing simple exercises around the compound or walking for a few minutes outdoors. Inactivity is a great contributor to back pain and the senior member can be helped to do simple chores within the house or in the garden.

Author Bio:

Jennifer Holland is a professional writer with three years of experience with a college essay writing service. She has a good knowledge of writing essays, thesis, personal statements and other academic work. She holds online classes for budding writers and shares her invaluable work knowledge with them.

Back Ache

Improving Posture Improves Health

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