Coach Presents: How to Prevent Back Pain Before it Begins

Just like keeping a current customer is easier than getting a new one, it is much easier to prevent an illness than it is to treat one. This same principle applies to your back pain. It is easier to prevent back pain in the first place than it is to cure it. Before you start getting back pain remember these five easy steps to work to prevent it.

• Stand Up Straight!: Your mother was right to scold you about standing up straight. You should stand with your back, neck, and head lifted throughout the day, not slumped or hunched over.
• Soft shoe soles: Shoes with proper soles or softer soles will prevent back pain. Shoes, for example high heels, allow your feet to absorb the shock of each stride. This process will almost always lead to back pain. Find shoes that have good soles, or buy an insole for your shoes.
• Proper Chairs: I am not recommending you should purchase an ergonomically designed chair to prevent your back pain. However, you do need a chair that will support the natural curve in your spine. If where you sit makes your back angle or hunch forward then it is time to look into a lumbar support. It is also important to get up and move around.
• Sleep Better: Get more sleep and try to sleep on only one pillow. Sleeping with too many pillows can strain your neck muscles. Your neck pain can quickly lead to back pain as well.
• Don’t Smoke: Quitting smoking is the first step to benefitting your health. Smoking has been linked to developing back pain.

Steadies have shown as much as 80% of the population has experienced back pain, so consider yourself lucky if you have not yet. Stand up straight, and sit up straight to further help prevent back pain. Back pain can be very painful and debilitating, so do all you can know to prevent it.

 ~Sean Hogan has coached hockey at the international and collegiate levels for over ten years. He has spoken at numerous events about culture building, goal setting and healthy lifestyles. He holds a Master’s of Science Degree in Recreation and Sports Science with an emphasis on Coaching Education from OHIO University.