Stand Up For Back Pain Relief

In the Lumbago section of Back Pain Pro we mentioned that sitting down is major contributor to causes of lower back pain problems. Well of course we all need to sit sometimes but it’s how we sit and how often we sit that we need to be aware of.

In some cases just a change of routine, posture and lifestyle may help reduce back ache or the symptoms of sciatic pain.

Put simply, the main reason for sitting is to rest your legs; however sitting is bad for back!

Keep your back moving

Your spine is made up of 24 interlocking vertebrae, which are divided into three types: cervical, thoracic and lumbar. Ligaments connect those bones in our spine. To prevent our vertebrae from squashing down on each other, there are spinal discs to provide a cushion between them. These discs contain fluid which is fed with vital oxygen from through capillaries. Movement increases the flow of oxygen to the discs helping to keep them strong and healthy.

Sitting still for long periods reduces the flow of oxygen and can lead to back problems and associated pain in the lumber region. Sitting is good for short periods to rest, but then follow this by movement (within your limits) to actively allow fresh oxygen to flow through the spinal fluid.

Exercise to reduce pain

It is because of this principle that although properly controlled exercise, obviously places some strain on the vertebrae and discs, this is acceptable as they are constantly being supplied with fresh oxygen.
Exercises to relieve lower back pain should be undertaken with guidance from your GP or a fitness professional, but simply changing your habits and moving around more (with or without any extra exercise) is a great way of treating low back pain.

The two most common sitting positions are forward and hyper-erect (both unnatural for
standing). This causes your weight to be transferred to either the front half of the discs, or the back half, and unsurprisingly, this causes back pain.

One simple cure for lower back pain is to constantly switch between sitting positions.

BE RESTLESS!