Reduce Your Back Pain At Home

William Capicotto, reduce back pain at home, reduce back pain, at home exercises, stretches to reduce back pain

Stuck At Home With Back Pain

Whether it’s winter weather, an illness, or simply a lack of transportation, being stuck at home can be worrisome for those who struggle with back pain. Pain, whether in the neck/shoulder region, down the center of your spine, or in your lower back, can be caused for a number of reasons:

  • Injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, and joints
  • Pressure on spinal nerve roots as the result of a herniated disc, osteoarthritis, compression fractures, or spinal conditions such as spondylolisthesis and spinal deformities
  • Spinal injuries as the result of a sporting or automotive accident
  • Spine inflammation

Your spine is made up of over 120 muscles, 100 joints, and 220 ligaments that work together to keep your spine stable, maintain your flexibility, and allow for a range of movements. And because your spine has an excellent memory, it is important to treat your it right and practice good posture when sitting, exercise and strengthen your core muscles, and eat a balanced diet.

Unexpected Ways to Reduce Back Pain At Home

Remember: regular physical activity and a healthy diet are essential. While home, you should look for ways to stretch (which strengthens your core muscles) and practice good posture while sitting, standing, and exercising to maintain the health of your spine. Reduce back pain at home by:

  • Working from home is a big mental adjustment but it’s also a physical adjustment. When sitting, you may find yourself slumped or hunched more than usual because of the available chairs, or because you’re working from your couch. The key to reducing lower back pain while seated comes down to body alignment. Change the way you sit by keeping your feet flat on the floor, legs uncrossed, with your shoulders and hips aligned at a 90-degree angle. You can also place a small pillow behind your lower back for increased support.
  • Break up extended periods of rest by standing up, doing light stretches, and walking around your house or even around the block if the weather is nice.
  • Make your own hand weights out of canned food. Take any two cans from pantry and slowly lift them above your head, do arm curls, or even squats.
  • And speaking of squats, pick up your laundry basket (with nowhere to go you probably haven’t done it in a while) and use it as a weight while doing squats!

Other Ways To Reduce Back Pain

For those looking for additional ways to reduce your back pain at home, check out some of our recent articles:

  • “No-Impact Exercises to Strengthen Your Spine.” Sadly there is no “one size fits all” solution to back pain but there are little things that anyone can do to improve their overall health and strengthen their spine, like these no-impact back and neck exercises you can perform at home.
  • “Power Walking To Better Health.” In between the spring showers don’t be afraid to get outside and power-walk your neighborhood. Generally it’s the easiest and most affordable activity for those wishing to improve physically and reduce pain.
  • “Stay Hydrated To Prevent Back Pain.” Your body is 45%-60% water because every system in your body requires it to function. Water is the most important thing to drink for a healthy back as it allows nutrients to travel to the major organs, remove waste, and maintain function in the joints, organs, and spine.
  • “Love Your Spine By Building Strong Bones.” Got milk? Calcium is a fundamental mineral that preserves bone mass to support your skeleton. Add these calcium-rich foods to your diet for stronger, healthier bones.
  • “Foods To Help Reduce Inflammation.” Like many health issues, an easy way to reduce chronic inflammation is to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. As you make changes to your diet, try adding these foods which contain omega-3s, calcium, fiber, vitamins, iron, lycopene, and other components which have been shown to reduce inflammation.

For over 25 years the caring, compassionate, and knowledgeable staff at William Capicotto MD PC have treated patients with neck and back pain. Our goal is to restore mobility and get you back to doing the things you love best. Contact us to set up a consultation or learn more about your spine, back and neck pain, plus other ways to reduce pain and keep your spine healthy.