Is Your Everyday Life Setting You Up for Pain?

Our lives are filled with so much motion that can strain our body, a complex, amazing machine.

Just thinking about all the possibilities is enough to make us dizzy: we turn, bend, lift, walk, run and move. And even when we’re not in motion, that brilliant machine with all its moving parts is still being challenged: It’s possible, after all, that sitting, standing or even sleeping in the wrong position can strain or harm some of its parts.

The offshoot? Although the body works in synchrony – most of the time – everyday habits that are automatic, natural and easy can be pain landmines. It happens despite our best efforts at being active and healthy. If you’re already affected by intense pain, you may want to pop over to these guys to see what services they can offer to help treat or relieve the pain that you’re experiencing.

So where might we be going wrong? The top five likely culprits:

Sleeping without the proper support. It’s not a bad idea to evaluate your mattress about every five to seven years, says the Better Sleep Council. The wrong pillows and/or mattresses can set you up for a vicious cycle of pain. According to the Cleveland Clinic, more people visit health professionals for back pain than they do for any other condition, save for the common cold. And the cost is staggering: adding up to between $20-$30 billion in health care expenses on an annual basis.

Most of the time, back pain goes away after a couple of weeks with simple treatment. One easy way to take things into your own hands and get a jump-start on relief might be with Wahl’s hand-held Deep Tissue Massager, which can attack muscle pain deep below the surface, and target both large muscle groups or zero in on those smaller pesky problem areas. Although in some cases, back pain can take a lot longer to go away and can even be more serious than you thought, which is why its best to seek a professionals advice and prevent long term conditions such as cauda equina from developing. However, if you have already developed this disorder due to a misdiagnoses earlier on, cauda equina compensation claims may be your next step into getting the treatment you need and to getting you back on your feet. Many disorders can occur from a minor back issue, that’s why its essential to get it checked out, the earlier, the better.

Lifting with our back and not our legs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that one million workers suffer from back injuries every year. And low back pain accounts for one of the most common reasons for work absenteeism. But even if you’re not lifting heavy boxes for a living, back pain happens if you lift anything the wrong way. Yes, there is a proper lifting technique, and it’s worth learning, to prevent tweaking your back and setting yourself up for pain. Failure to learn this technique could result in you requiring chiropractic services in the future.

• Don’t: Lift from a standing position with your waist bent or knees locked.
• Don’t: Lift by bending forward.
• Don’t: Lift a heavy object above shoulder level.
• Do: Be aware of the weight of what you’ll be lifting.
• Do: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. One foot should be slightly in front of the other.
• Do: Squat down (bend at the hips and knees); look straight ahead, keeping your back straight, chest out and shoulders back.
• Do: Slowly lift, keeping a straight upper back (with a slight arch in your lower back) while straightening out your hips and knees.

Remember: Give your legs the power when lifting – not your back!

Sitting at the computer all day. Neck and shoulder pain can be the offshoot of hours spent reading e-books, trading e-mails or working at your computer or iPad. Why? Your neck houses the top of your spine, that small stack of bones known as cervical vertebrae. The wrong position can put the vertebrae and muscles in your neck to become misaligned, resulting in back and neck strain – and even injuries.

A study from the Harvard School of Public Health, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Microsoft found a simple solution: By simply changing the angle to one where you don’t need to bend your neck too much, you can reduce the strain to your muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments and spinal discs. Taking a break every 15 minutes; keeping your shoulders relaxed with your elbows close to your body helps, too.

It is also important to consider that your actual office chair could be contributing to your pain. Investing in an orthopedic office chair that you can find on the website of a uk office furniture supplier is therefore strongly recommended. I know quite a few people who have noticed a marked improvement in their pain levels after switching out their office chair so this solution is well worth looking into.

Another effective solution: Reach for help and grab a handheld massager like this one from Wahl that customizes your relief through its interchangeable heads and variable intensity control…and melt away that tension that builds up in your shoulders and back throughout the day. Voila! Improved flexibility, less stiffness.

Wearing the wrong footwear. Sure, those stilettos look sexy and sleek. And those cute flip-flops are the perfect go-to summer look to showcase that great new pedicure. But those fab looks may be compromising or throwing off your alignment, changing your gait and paving the way for back pain. The lower the heel, the better, say experts. Low heels, sneakers, insoles or inserts can be your back’s best friends.

Exercising and ignoring massage. You’re already doing a good thing for yourself by exercising: controlling your weight, reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, reducing your risk of some cancers, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, improving your mood, strengthening your bones and muscles, reducing your risk of falls. In short: You’re increasing your chance of living longer.

And yet. Many people don’t top off their exercise routine with massage. Yeah, I get it. You’re busy enough – who has time to indulge in a massage? Besides, it’s expensive. So what if it can help reduce muscle tension, promote relaxation, increase your range of motion and decrease your chance of suffering sore muscles?

For those of you who don’t have the time or the means, consider doing a massage at home.

You’ll still be able to reap the benefits like everything mentioned above – plus, you’ll have one less excuse to skip your workout tomorrow.