Backaches are a common problem that affect around 75% of the adult population. That is not that strange, because our backs carry us around and most of us don’t take good care of it. Dropping temperatures are luring us insight to the couch. Practitioners and physiotherapists don’t find it surprising anymore that they see an increase in back problems during this time of the year. That’s why we are gonna walk you through some steps and tips that can help you to get rid of those backaches.

Step 1: Find the cause

There are often multiple causes that aren’t that easy to find and contribute to your backaches. The most common ones are: overload, tension, bad posture (both sitting and standing) and lack of movement. Especially a physiotherapist can help you find the cause.

Step 2: Take action

People have the tendency to stop moving when experiencing backaches. Inform your practitioner or a physiotherapist to see what kind of movement you CAN do. There are many different back- and abdominal exercises that relieve your back.

Step 3: Write down goals

Writing down goals can help you to specify what you want to work on. Make sure these goals are achievable so you don’t overload yourself. Think of something that you want to be able to do again but you stopped doing because of the backaches. For example, start with a ten minute walk or cycle and build this up.

Step 4: Identify your body posture

Most people don’t pay a lot of attention to this although it is all too common. Standing up, sitting down or lifting things is often done in the wrong posture. This can lead to injuries and an overloaded back.

Step 5: Get plenty of sleep

Sleeping is essential for the relief of tension in the muscles and recovery. Especially your back needs rest to recover.

It is also important to take into account a few things that can help to relieve your back. These simple and practical tips can help you:

•         Make a straight back when you lift, also use your core muscles to support your back when lifting things.
•         Never turn your back when lifting things
•        Train your core with abdominal- and back exercises
•         Avoid high heels, these shoes don’t support your body weight and are often very unstable
•         Get yourself a good office chair for work that is adjustable and gives you good back support
•        Do you have a mattress that takes your spinal cord into account? If you experience backaches, then is this something that can help you a lot.
•         When carrying things, hold the things close to the body to relieve the strain on your back