Back injuries can be all too common and can cause long-term problems if left untreated. Many causes can be avoided with research and prior planning. You can do a lot to protect your back by ensuring good posture and keeping active. This allows the spine and vertebrae to remain in the optimum position without becoming damaged, strained or moved out of alignment. Ensuring the right back support for posture is crucial too, whether that is adjusting chair height, choosing the right footwear or wearing a supportive back brace to encourage good posture.

Back Support For Posture, Injuries And Pain

If your back has been injured, it requires decent support to heal correctly. Back injuries can happen during sport or physical exercise, lifting something heavy or even moving in the wrong way too quickly or too far. Back pain usually fixes itself after a few weeks, but if you are worried, always seek professional advice.

Stay as active as you can, as sitting in one place for a long period can cause your body to become stiff and painful. Do some simple back exercises and stretches, such as Pilates to keep the back and body loose. Yoga, walking and swimming can also help. More intense treatments can also be offered by a medical professional, including manual therapy, nerve treatments and spinal fusion surgery.

If you do use painkillers, choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory tablets as a first resort, only moving to a stronger option under medical advice. Apply a heat pad or ice pack, alternating between the two in short bursts to ease pain. To assist in recovery, wear a back support. This is a discreet brace or strap that goes underneath your clothes to bring your back into alignment and encourage the correct posture. They work as the back support for posture and also help in doing exercises.

Back posture correctors are adjustable for maximum comfort and support. They are made from breathable, easy-to-wear material that absorbs sweat and is designed not to rub or cut into the back. Also available are support pillows and seats to help you sit without pain. You can also wear a shoulder brace to help with correcting posture and wider pain or discomfort around your body. Shoulder braces can help alleviate pressure from the upper back and shoulder area.

Back Posture Advice And Top Tips

Poor posture is a leading cause of back pain. There are many ways to improve this to reduce discomfort, strengthen back muscles and prevent damage happening to the spine and vertebrae.

1. No slouching: always sit up straight in a chair. Slouching can strain the muscles around the spine and leads to pain. Adjust your chair so that it is the right height from the ground to allow your feet to rest firmly on the floor.
2. Back and core strengthening exercises: Incorporate specialist back exercises into your physical fitness routines to help with posture. These include planks, bridges and back extensions. Exercises to strengthen the core and buttocks include hip flexor stretches, side-lying leg raises and standing thigh stretches.
3. Stand tall: never stick your bottom out when standing or walking, as this will add a curve to your spine that could cause longer-term problems. Not to mention make you look like a duck! Make a conscious effort to correct your posture as you walk. Imagine a two-way stretch pulling you up towards the ceiling from the top of your head and from your feet down into the ground to achieve the right position.
4. Walk the talk: when you walk, keep your shoulders relaxed, pull your abdomen in, balance weight evenly on both feet and keep your legs straight and knees relaxed.
5. Stand on two legs: many of us put all our weight on one leg when standing. This can strain the lower back and buttocks. Parents carrying babies on one hip can experience the same effects. Get into the habit of standing on both feet.
6. Text-neck: a very modern problem sees people hunching over to read and send texts on their phone or typing on a keyboard. Correct this with neck, shoulder and upper back exercises, such as chest stretches or pull-ups. Sit up straight when using a keyboard and use a stand for your phone so it is at the right height. Never cradle a phone between your shoulder and neck. Invest in a headset or hands-free device for lengthy phone calls.