It will start by aching, causing a loss of flexibility and
slowly but surely you will become stiff, experiencing pain when merely walking
or bending. Depending on the severity, your back pain can become so intense,
any slight movement is agony.

Although lying down may relieve some of the pain, turning
over or getting out of bed can be increasingly difficult, causing you to roll
and crawl to a standing position. Try to resist bed rest though, as the more
active you stay the less stiff your back will become.

Luckily, most back pain can be treated within 6 to 12 weeks
with an appropriate exercise plan, painkillers and patience. However, 90% of
back pain sufferers will experience continued back pain in the future. This is
why prevention is better than the cure.

Be aware of your posture, whether standing, sitting,
sleeping, driving… everything! It can happen to both men and women, young and
old. Some jobs are also to blame for bad backs, with manual labour workers are
at a higher risk due to being uneducated about proper lifting techniques.
Supermarket cashiers, telephone workers, office workers and long-haul drivers
are also at a higher risk. Make sure you take breaks from whatever you are
doing and stretch those legs!

Remember, only you know how your back feels, never over do
anything, you only have one back for life! Being aware of the preventions can
save you from a life time of back pain.

Studies show that 4 out of 5 people experience back pain at
least once in their lifetime, with the most common cause due to muscular
strains. These muscular strains can be easily avoided if you prevent yourself
from unexpected impact, twists or tears, such as when you are lifting heavy
objects.

Remember, the back is an intricate anatomy of 33vertebrae,
muscles, ligaments, joints and discs, all of which can cause minor to severe
pain if injured. Just think of how much you rely on your back, it is the
supporter of your head and core of your body that deals with a huge amount
bending, flexing and moving.

Another common cause of back pain is ligament sprains which
can result from a fall or a drastic twist. The ligaments of the back are then
stretched, and in severe instances, torn. The third most common cause is
herniated discs which are caused by improper lifting and often seen in
long-haul drivers,due to the repetitive vibratory movements. This can later
produce a radicular back pain which runs along the nerves.

There are more variations of back pain, but remember, most
incidents last only a few days and can be quickly solved within a matter of
weeks with gentle exercise and correct posture. However, please be aware of the
following warning signs and contact your GP
for further assistance if;

• Your back pain lasts longer than s few days
• Your back pain keeps you awake
• You have loss of bowel or bladder control
• You experience chills, sweats, a fever or other
  strange signs.

Only YOU know YOUR back. Take care of it, it’s yours for
life.

• Toning your stomach and back muscles help
  support your perfect posture.
• Strong muscles give you more control over
  movement.
• Being fit improves blood circulation, essential
  in relieving your bad back.
• Stretching not only increases your flexibility,
  it improves your posture for sitting and lifting.
• Exercise makes you happy! And therefore less
  lazy and likely to fall back in to bad habits, like slouching.

So why not start relieving your bad back today with some
gentle exercises  and start living your
life? With back pain being one of the leading causes of disability and time
lost from work all over the world, you can deal with it head-on by committing
to a few hours of exercise a week, and in the process, increase you energy
levels and get fit!

But before you start relieving your back pain with exercise,
remember to;

• Choose an exercise that you like, and that you
  will be able to continue without being bored!
• Start slowly, and gradually increase your level
  of fitness. There’s no rush!
• Avoid impact sports, which may put more stress
  on your back.
• When lifting, be sensible with the weight and
  ensure the correct posture.
• Wear supportive trainers to reduce the impact of
  movements.
• Don’t over do it! Stop if an exercise is causing
  pain and slow down your pace until you are fitter.

So what are you waiting for? Check out our selection of
exercises  to relieve your bad back pain!

Simple preventions can be taken to protect your back.
Exercise and loosing excess weight reduces the strain on your back and gets you
fit and healthy! Wearing flat, comfortable shoes with cushioned soles reduce
the impact on your back, and you should refrain from making sudden movements
and causing unneeded strain on your muscles.

Posture, whether standing or sitting, laying down or even
driving, is paramount to maintaining a strong, healthy back. When standing,
face forward, shoulders back and keep your spine and legs as straight as
possible. Balancing your weight evenly on your feet ensures a healthy posture
with limited strain on your back muscles.

When sitting, you should endeavour to sit upright, with both
feet firmly on the floor. Your knees and hips should be level, with support in
the small of your back.

And when laying down or sleeping, make sure your mattress is
firm enough to support the entirety of your body, maintaining a straight spine,
but be careful not to over strain your neck with a large pillow, make sure it’s
gently supported.

When driving ensure that your lower back is appropriately
supported and position your feet squarely in front of the foot controls. Always
adjust your mirrors to avoid unnecessary twisting and turning, and never
forget! Take frequent breaks when travelling long distances and take time to
stretch your legs.

And finally, one of the other massive
causes of back injury-lifting. Learning how to lift properly is essential in
maintaining a healthy, strong back and preventing back pain. Always think
before you attempt to lift anything, if it’s too heavy, know your limit and
break the load up or seek help. Always push rather than pull an object and
always avoid twisting your back. When lifting, your legs should take the
strain, never your back. Keep balanced and grounded by bending your back, knees
and hips slightly, keeping one leg a little forward. Use your stomach muscles
and support the load at your waist.

You are never too young or old to adopt these easy techniques
in order to prevent back pain. Remember, the prevention is always better than
the cure.

Managing your back properly is the key to success when living
with back pain. Think about it, when you go to sit down, how do you do it? Most
of us will simply plonk our bums down without a second thought, but think about
the impact this has on your spine! By simply lowering yourself slowly, you are
already reducing unnecessary stress on your back.

When lifting boxes or picking up a child, bend you knees, not
your back! Your legs should take the weight of whatever you are lifting, and
using your tummy muscles can also help to relieve unwanted strain on your
spine.

Moving furniture or other large, heavy objects? Simply push
instead of pulling. By using your legs for power and keeping your spine in-line
you are protecting your back from additional strain. And finally, exercise! The
benefits of exercising are phenomenal for your health and well-being, but can
also ease the stresses of living with back pain.  Whatever your chosen activity, just remember
to take it slowly and increase the level of your fitness slowly. By rushing,
you are only going to cause more damage.

So, start managing your back pain today and take control of
your life!

• Strength. Increasing the strength in your
  back will improve your strength in general, making your bones healthier and
  improving your posture.
• Flexibility. Increasing your flexibility
  will enable you to stretch and nurture your back, improving your movements and
  decreasing the pain.
• Balance. You need to exercise all areas
  of your body in order to support your back and gain strong, flexible muscles.
• Power. When you exercise your back, your
  muscles will be training and you will have the endurance to sit, walk and
  exercise with more ease and for longer amounts of time.
• Weight. Having weight on your belly
  causes extra strain on your back. It’s important to maintain a healthy body
  weight to reduce chronic back problems.

Doing something that you enjoy
is vital, that way you can include it into your daily schedule. The key to
successful exercises for back pain is quality, not quantity. Start slowly and
develop your techniques gradually over time. And make sure you do little and
often rather than a lot in one go, as this may be counterproductive.

Swimming is a great exercise for back pain sufferers.
The water supports your body without causing unwanted stress on your muscles.
To make the most of strengthening and supporting your spine, be aware of
rotating your head, flip-turning and the breaststroke as overextension can have
an adverse effect on your neck and back.

Aqua-aerobics is a fun, interactive way of exercising
your back. The buoyancy of the water allows you to move easily without adding
unwanted strain on your joints. This floatability makes aqua-aerobics an ideal
starter exercise for those with bad backs.

Walking is the easiest, not to mention free, way to
exercise a bad back. Perfect for people of all ages and levels of fitness,
walking is simply a breath of fresh air!

Stretches in the comfort of your
own home can provide excellent exercise for strengthening your back.

• Wall Slides. Standing with your back
  against the wall, feet apart. Slide down the wall into a sitting position,
  knees bent, to the count of five, then return to standing. Repeat 5 times.

• Back Leg Swing. Whilst standing, hold on
  to the back of a chair. Keeping your left leg straight, swing it back and up,
  slowly. Alternate between legs. Repeat 5 times.
• Knee to Chest. Lay on the floor on your
  back, knees bent. Bring one knee to your chest using both hands to help you,
  pulling as close as possible. Slowly, lower knee back to the starting position.
  Repeat 5 times with each leg.
• Leg Raises. Lying on your back with your
  arms at the side, lift one leg off the floor, and count to 10 (adjust time if
  this is proving difficult, and work your way up to 10). Slowly,return to the
  floor. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Sadly, there is no quick fix to solving back pain. However,
with patience and perseverance you can start living your life to the fullest!
Don’t let back pain stop you, pick an exercise today and start your recovery!

• Stay Active, resist the temptation to
  crawl back into bed. Maintaining your daily activities is important, and if you
  can partake in gentle exercises such as swimming, this can strengthen the
  muscles in your back whilst your body is supported by the water. Top Tip:
  Instead of swimming breaststroke (which can strain your neck and back further),
  try swim crawling whilst side breathing.
• Hot or Cold Packs can help reduce pain.
  Whether you buy a pack from the pharmacy or use ice/frozen peas wrapped in a
  towel, ensure you do not apply ice directly to your back as this could cause
  damage to your skin.
• Painkillers, such as paracetamol or
  anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen can help relieve back pain and allow
  you to carry on with your life. If your back pain is severe, your GP can
  prescribe you stronger painkillers.
• Physiotherapy may aid you in your bad back
  treatment, along with chiropractic work or osteopathy which normally consist of
  between 6-12 weeks of posture training, massage, specific exercise routines and
  spinal manipulation and mobilisation techniques.
• Support yourself and use an orthopaedic
  chair that is designed to support your lower back. Remember your
  posture at all times, whether standing or sitting and listen to your body!

Remember, back pain can
generally be treated, but in the meantime don’t stress out too much and
remember to keep active and be aware of your posture. Sit up, look sharp!

Because of Britain’s sitting culture, more and more people are becoming victim to back pain. This constant lack of movement means loss of muscle tone in the lower back, resulting in loss of stability in the spine, creating back pain. This increasing number of sufferers now means that millions of young people are going to spend the rest of their lives living with back pain.

Not only does back pain cause discomfort, it can interfere with daily tasks, your job, your mood and even your sex life. So why do we do this to ourselves? Instead of slumping on the couch playing a football game on the internet, why not actually go outside and play real football? Instead of taking the lift, take the stairs. Leave the car at home, walk to the shop. On your lunch break, stretch your legs, don’t eat at your desk.

It’s the little changes you make to your lifestyle that can make or break a bad back. Don’t take back pain sitting down, stop this unnecessary  rise in bad backs today.

Sadly, there’s no magic potion to fix a bad back, but there is an abundance of options available to help coping with a bad back easier.

• Exercise & Diet. Carrying around extra weight on your belly puts extra strain on your spine, so get active and keep your back flexible and strong!
• Yoga. There are many different types of yoga to chose from, all of them focussing on your breathing and posture which can be extremely beneficial to back pain sufferers.
• Posture. Being aware of your posture can make a world of difference. Sitting down can do a surprising amount of damage! Try an erganomic chair, specifically designed to support your spine.
• Holistic Treatments. These can help reduce the intensity of your back pain, and include approaches such as massage, chiropractic, acupuncture and cupping, the ancient Chinese therapy which involves placing heated cups upside down on the skin, said to significantly reduce lower back pain compared with painkillers.
• Western Medicine. Medication, physical therapy, x-rays and in extreme cases, surgery. If you are experiencing serious pain, loss of bladder/bowel control, interrupted sleep, fever, or unexpected weight loss, contact your GP immediately.

Remember your goal; to reduce or eliminate your back pain altogether. Listen to your body and research all options before committing to anything. The last thing you want to do is damage your bad back further.

1.                 Diet. Eating a healthy diet and maintaining a trim waist line works wonders for your back!

2.                 Gentle Exercise. Keeping active ensures your back stays flexible and less likely to stiffen up, causing added pain. Find something you enjoy and improve your fitness and discomfort!

3.                 Bodywork. Physical therapy, massages, chiropractic and osteopathy treatment encourages flexibility, coordination and importantly, posture.

4.                 Yoga. Yoga focuses on fluidity, flexibility and breathing. It unwinds the tightness in your muscles and allows you to relax your strained back.

5.                 Sleep. After all that exercise, you should sleep like a log! However, you must have a firm mattress that supports your body and prevents your spine from curving. Check your pillow too, if it is too steep, you’ll be craning your neck and causing unnecessary strain and pain.

6.                 Painkillers. Over the counter pain relief, such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol can ease your bad back and make daily tasks so much easier.

7.                 Natural Supplements. Inexpensive and easy to fit in to your daily routine, supplements like vitamin C, zinc, flaxseed oil, glucosamine, calcium and magnesium can all benefit sufferers of a bad back.

8.                 Hot and Cold. Heat packs and hot water bottles unwind cramping and spasms of the muscles whilst cold packs or ice/frozen peas reduce inflammation and swelling.

9.                 Relax in the Bath. Yes, a warm, bubbly bath can not only sooth your senses and unwind your mind, the heat manipulates your muscles and eases tension, increasing your circulation and relaxing your back. Enjoy!

10.             Posture. With over 75% of workers spending about 7 hours a day sitting at a desk or likewise in a non orthopaedic chair, it’s no wonder four out of five adults suffer from back pain. Having the correct posture and support whilst sitting is essential in maintaining a strong, healthy back. Whether at home or at work, ergonomic chairs and orthopaedic chairs can make a world of difference to your bad back.

So what are you waiting for? Take control of your back pain today and take control of your life.