Why Lumbar Support Is Important

Across the world, millions of productive workdays are lost due to lower back pain.

Our modern lifestyles mean that we sit down more. When we are not sitting in front of a computer, we sit in front of the TV. Travelling to work also means we sit down in the car or on public transport.

Working from home is an added risk to your lumbar spine. Homeworkers probably sit down more than their counterparts working in offices. If you work from home, you should check your posture. Dining or kitchen chairs are not ergonomic.

Sitting down and being inactive can lead to problems with your lumbar spine.

Signs You Have a Problem with Your Lumbar

One of the main signs that your lumbar spine is telling you something is wrong is a shooting pain in your lower ache.

You may also experience pain when standing up or trying to sit down. The first symptoms are not always pain. Instead, you may experience discomfort and stiffness.

As time goes on, many people with lumbar spinal problems experience shooting pains in their legs and even painful hip movement.

When you notice any kind of discomfort coming from the lumbar region of your spine, it is important you do something about it.

What Can You Do About Lumbar Pain?

First, it is important that you get the problem diagnosed. Most of the time, the cause of lumbar pain is not so serious. It is often caused by poor posture or inactivity.

However, more serious conditions such as a slipped disc can also cause pain in the lumbar region.

Once your condition has been identified, you can take the appropriate action.

Tips For Better Back Health

If your problem is directly caused by sitting down too much, you should take a look at your chair. Does it have lumbar support?

Most modern office chairs have lumbar support, but it is worth investigating. A lumbar support is indicated by a protrusion in the lower part of the backrest of the chair.

If yours doesn’t have one, it is a good idea to buy an ergonomic chair with lumbar support. Alternatively, you can buy a separate lumbar support and attach it to the chair.

When you suspect your lumbar back pain comes from something you are doing outside the home or office, you can take a different approach.

Lumbar supports have come a long way. They are not as big and clumsy as they used to be.

You can now buy supports that easily fit under your clothes. Supports that can be placed at the back of the seat of your car are also available. They are often called lumbar foam rollers.

Exercising with Lumbar Pain

Should I exercise when I am experiencing lumbar back pain?
You may not think you should exercise when you are experiencing any kind of back pain. But, exercising is one of the best things you can do.

When you exercise, it is important that your spine is correctly aligned. Depending on what exercise you are doing, there is plenty of choices when it comes to support.

The latest trend is towards clothing with built-in support. If that is not for you, it is better to buy a support that can be fitted to the region of your lumbar spine.

Practice Good Posture

If you have been diagnosed with any kind of back problem, you need to work on your posture.

When you do office work, having an ergonomic chair is essential.

At the same time, it is important to get moving. One of the best exercises you can do when you have back problems is walking.

Walking As Exercise

The good thing about walking is that you can do it almost anywhere. As you walk, take your time to check your posture every so often.

Is your spine aligned correctly? You can check this by standing up straight and gazing ahead into the distance. If your neck is aligned with the lower part of your spine, your posture is good.

Try to aim to work for at least an hour per day. You don’t have to walk outside. Walking on a treadmill is just as good for you.

Swimming For Back Pain

Swimming is another exercise that is good for back pain. If you have not been swimming for a while, it is best to take it slow in the beginning.

The breaststroke is good, but if you know other strokes, you should add them to your swimming exercise routine. Practicing different strokes helps to improve flexibility and increases muscle mass.

When we have better muscle mass, we are less likely to experience back problems. After all, our muscles and tendons help to support our entire spinal column.

Swimming is a great way of building strong muscles and increasing aerobic capacity.

Yoga Increases Flexibility

One of the most common causes of lumbar pain is stiffness.

When we get stiff from too much inactivity, we often start to experience back pain.

Yoga and similar exercise activities including tai-chi and pilates help to improve our flexibility. If you do them regularly, you don’t only increase your flexibility. You also strengthen muscles and tendons in your back,

Furthermore, gentle exercises help to increase blood flow to areas affected by pain and inflammation. Many doctors claim that exercising in the right way is as effective as pain-relieving medication.

Why Lumbar Support?

When you exercise, you should try to wear a support if you are experiencing problems.

A support gently holds you in place and corrects posture. The main reason we suffer problems in this part of our back is because of poor posture.

Lumbar supports can help to re-train your body and help you to recognise the difference between good and bad posture.

Conclusion

Lumbar supports are important as they help to correct posture problems. They are natural alternatives to taking anti-inflammatory medication.

The choice of different supports is pretty endless. It is a matter of finding the right support that suits your activity and lifestyle.