It is difficult to move around as much as we should when most of us sit behind desks all day working and modern society encourages us to be couch potatoes. Another hindrance to movement is being advised to rest when you have an injury or back pain. However, it is better if you move more often to keep things moving and supple.
Another contributing factor to back pain is standing for too long and standing incorrectly.
Don’t Stand for longer than 2 hours.
When we stand for long periods of time we tend to accumulate strain and tension around our lower back. Usually this is because we relax our glutes and our pelvis slips into an anterior pelvic tilt. Furthermore, you may find you favour one leg more than the other, thus causing excessive strain across the lower back.
If you do have to stand for a longer period of time, try and squeeze / tense your glutes. This will take some of the strain off the lower back and help prevent your pelvis slipping into an anterior pelvic tilt.
Standing Correctly
Maintaining the natural curve of the spine when standing promotes “good posture”. The human spine looks a little bit like an S from the side, and maintaining those two curves is important.
• Keep your head directly over the shoulders (i.e. “chest out, head back”)
• Keep the shoulders directly over the pelvis
• Tighten the core abdominal and glute muscles
• Tuck in the buttocks
• Place the feet slightly apart and knees bent just a little bit (i.e., not locked).
If you are struggling with back pain our Liverpool Chiropractor can help you. Please contact us to arrange an appointment.
