Eighty percent of Americans go through back pain at some point in their lives. When it affects you, it can be extremely painful and limit your movement and what you are able to do. In some cases, surgery is required to fix your problems and back issues can be nagging for an entire lifetime. If you end up having serious back problems later in life, medical bills can begin to pile up. To avoid future problems, it is extremely important to take care of your back today and take precautions to stave off future back issues.

Taking Care Of Your Back While Sleeping

You may not think you can do much damage to your back while you sleep, but you need to remember that you probably spend more time in your bed than you do anywhere else. For eight hours per night, it is important that your bed gives your back the support it needs to fully rest from the previous day. A mattress that is too soft can fail to give your spine enough support and you will end up sleeping with your spine out of alignment. To fix this problem, many doctors recommend investing in an orthopedically designed mattress. Although the cost can seem high, it is important to remember how much time you will spend in your bed and how beneficial a good night's rest can be. Whatever mattress you do decide to purchase, it is very important to lie down on it before you buy it to make sure your spine is properly aligned.


Protecting Your Back At Work

Many people spend much of their time in an office. Unfortunately this more often that not consists of sitting at a desk all day doing work on a computer. Because of this, it is extremely important to make sure you are taking care of your back during this time. Good posture is critical to avoiding back pain. Although it is easy to want to slouch in your chair, it is important to sit with your rear end all the way towards the back of the chair and with your feet on the floor. It is also important to stand up whenever possible to stretch out your back. Try to stand up at least once an hour to avoid back stiffness.

Exercising Your Back

While exercising, it is very important to not put too much stress on your back. If you haven't exercised in a while, you should ease back into a routine instead of stressing your body too much. This is especially true if you are lifting weights related to your back. It is also helpful to find an exercise that you enjoy and that doesn't put your body in a stressful position. Exercises like swimming, walking or bike riding can be perfect options to save your back.

To get more tips and information on how to prevent back pain, contact your Tampa chiropractor today.