Low back pain is something most of us will experience at some point during our lifetimes. We are very dependent on our spines for our mobility. We have to be ever vigilant to protect the health of our spine. We present some preventative techniques to help reduce the occurrence of low back pain. There are a number of preventative measures you can take such as diet, lifting techniques, posture, exercise and massage chair therapy to help prevent low back pain.

Let us start with diet. One principal reason that many people experience the pain and discomfort of a low back injury is because of the Standard Western diet, high in fats, processed foods and sugars. This is a major contributor to the increasing rates of obesity in society. Obesity along with decreased amounts of exercise has led to an increasing number of people who suffer from low back pain.

Preventing low back pain means taking positive action to improve your overall health as well as your back health. This is obvious, but one must first start with ways to protect the back in your activities. This means learning the correct ways of lifting, sitting and standing. Sitting and standing in a slouched position increases the stress placed on the lower back and increases the probability of an injury.

Simple things like sitting and standing can help reduce the occurrence of low back pain. Many people sit with their shoulders slouched or too far back in the chair. You should sit more upright and support your spine. When you sit in a slouched position with your shoulders forward, it puts more pressure on your upper back. This is easy to correct by holding your shoulders back and sitting straight in the chair.

Another key area of prevention is learning proper lifting techniques. Lifting applies to all sorts of objects, not just heavy lifting. Most people lift by bending over which puts all the weight and strain directly on the lower back. The lower back was not designed for this type of lifting. Instead use your legs by bending your knees. Let your legs do the lifting because these are the largest and strongest muscles you have.

You need to do periodic exercise to help strengthen your back. Light exercise should include a warm-up of stretching and massage therapy. With the muscles warmed up then do some light aerobics exercises. Going for a walk for just 20 minutes a day can help strengthen your back. You want to keep your back muscles strong and flexible.

Massage chair therapy is used extensively to restore flexibility in the lower back muscles. There are a variety of massage techniques that are used to stimulate the muscles of the lumbar area. Slight stretching of the soft tissue areas is important for them to maintain their elasticity. Massage chairs use techniques such as kneading, vibration, compression and tapping to soothe and relieve the sore muscle areas.

One often overlooked area is your sleeping position. We spend between 5 and 8 hours sleeping. This is most likely more time than we spend doing almost anything else. Avoid sleeping on your stomach which will increase the stress on your lower back. Instead sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees. Another position is on your back with a pillow under your knees. Another relieving position is sleeping with a small towel rolled up under their lower back is comfortable.

Prevention starts with the basics. Start with your diet, exercise, sitting and standing, lifting techniques, massage chair therapy and your sleeping position. Check with your medical professional for further information in these areas. Prevention of low back pain is an ongoing process. A massage chair can be an important partner to help you maintain your spine in the best health possible.