Research shows that over a third of U.S. adults have experienced back pain during a three-month period — but few treatments actually work, according to a new study that analyzed hundreds of trials. So it might be helpful to focus on how to prevent back pain in the first place. Here are some tips from orthopedic doctors.
♦ Skip the “B.L.T.”
If you are about to bend, lift and twist, take a beat and try to do each motion separately, says Dr. Arthur L. Jenkins III, a neurosurgeon in New York City who specializes in spinal surgery.
When lifting an object, make sure both feet are planted and your weight is evenly distributed, said Dr. Gbolabo Sokunbi, a spine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Then lift from your legs instead of your arms and back, he said. Keep heavier items close to your body when picking them up, which puts less strain on your spine, Dr. Sokunbi added. Avoid twisting altogether by having your feet face whatever you’re lifting, Dr. Jenkins added.
♦ Don’t play pickleball without warming up first.
Dr. Alpesh Patel, a spine surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, often sees patients “running into trouble” with activities such as pickleball, paddle tennis and golf.
“Many people think of these as low-risk sports,” Dr. Patel said. But these activities, he said, can be jarring on the spine and often involve abrupt twisting. For the spine, “flexibility is key,” Dr. Patel said. So build in a warm-up and stretching routine before and during these sports, recommended Dr. Patel. “For example, with golf, add a low back and chest stretch every three holes.”
♦ Don’t overload your carry-on bag.
Several experts said they often saw patients who injured themselves lifting heavy carry-on bags into the overhead compartment of planes.
“That’s not a motion most people do every day,” Dr. Sokunbi said. So be mindful not to overload your luggage, he advised. Before you leave for the airport, test your carry-on bag’s weight, said Dr. Rahul Shah, an orthopedic spine surgeon in New Jersey.
Lift the bag to your waist and assess whether it can be done without difficulty, he said. If not, he said, remove some items. Then see if you can lift the bag from waist level to overhead level.“This should be a distinct, two-step process,” Dr. Shah said, because the muscles that lift the bag from floor to waist are significantly stronger than those that take it from waist to overhead.
♦ Steer clear of sit-ups.
The Marine Corps phased out crunches from its physical fitness test because the exercises come with “an increased risk of injury, including lower back pain.” Instead, they subbed in planks. Core-strengthening exercises such as planks, Pilates, swimming, yoga and the elliptical machine “are a lot healthier for your back in general,” he said.
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