MYTHS
- You must sit up straight. Yes, it does help but any sitting for too long is not good for us. A good thing to do is to tilt your pelvis backwards and forwards gently while sitting – nobody knows you are doing it but you keep changing the way your back is curving, which reduces strain on the low back.
- Lifting heavy weights will give you back pain. It can do but it is more a question of HOW you lift rather than WHAT you lift. Lifting heavy weights can be good for people with osteoporosis as I mentioned in a previous post. To lift safely, do not bend or twist or reach out in front of you. Keep what you want to lift as close to you as possible; squat down with a straight back and use your legs to push you back up. If the weight feels too much – don’t keep lifting.
- If you are overweight you are more likely to get back pain. Not in itself but if it means you are unfit then that can be a contributing factor. You need to keep in shape rather than just lose weight to help reduce the likelihood of backpain.
- You need a hard mattress . Not necessarily. In a Spanish study those who slept on a medium-firm mattress fared better than those who slept on a firm mattress. What you find most comfortable depends on your problem.
FACTS
- Manipulation and massage helps. Definitely – NICE guidelines recommend it but you need to know the cause of your back pain first.
- Acupuncture may ease pain. Definitely.
- Yoga, cognitive behavioural therapy and relaxation techniques – tension can play a huge part in recurrent back pain.
Chiropractic, Acupuncture, CBT, Massage can all be found at the Avenue Clinic – call for advice now.