Back Basics

Simply strategies for keeping your spine happy

One moment you're doing something you've done countless times before, the next you're frozen, with pain radiating through your back or legs, a muscle spasm and maybe numbness in your legs. It hurts just to stand or sit.

Dr Hamilton Hall, medical director of Toronto's CBI Health, blames most common backaches on the wear and tear and natural ageing of the spine, poor psture and poor muscle support in the trunk and abdomen. Here are some healthy back-care techniques:

• Sit properly. Sit maintaining the natural curve in the small of your back. Sitting puts more pressure on the discs, which is why many people with sore backs prefer to stand.
• Strengthen the back muscles, or perispinals. The back muscles, along with the abdominals, work together to support your spine. It's not strength you're after but endurance. The more endurance your back muscles have, the better the chance you will avoid significant back pain.
• Get flexible. Yoga and t'ai chi use deliberate breathing movements to develop flexibility. Another great exercis is swimming. Water exercises reduce the load on your back by countering the effect of gravity.
• Keep active. Aerobic activities such as walking and fitness classes help keep the back limber and help maintain healthy weight.
• Avoid stading or sitting in one position for long periods of time. Gravity compacts the spine, so get up or change positions every 20 to 30 minutes. Movement of the joints helps lubricate joint surfaces.
• Back off. Never overdo weekend activities. When lifting, bend at the knees, not the back, and hold the load close to your body. Keep your back erect, and avoid lifting anything too heavy. Balance any load in both arms. If you're travelling with luggage, get a suitcase with wheels.

by Ylva Van Buuren in Canadian Living