Back Pain Risk Factors

What Increases Your Risk?

By Jarrett Kruse

While back pain is a common ailment, there are many things you can do to prevent back pain or keep back pain to a minimum. Back pain risk factors include repetitive stress on muscles, improper or sudden movements, and a lack of exercise. Proper exercise can help you avoid back pain causes reduce many back pain symptoms. If you do experience pain, a program of back pain management worked out between you and your health care professional can minimize your pain and free you from limiting your activities.

Here are a few things you can do to decrease your risk of back pain:

Exercise regularly. Lack of movement or improper movement can increase your risk of back injury and back pain. Be sure to adopt an exercise program that strengthens the muscles supporting the back and provides an opportunity to exercise a wide variety of muscles throughout the body. If you have a desk job, take breaks and move around

Learn how to move properly. It’s important to learn how to protect your back when performing the simple, daily tasks of life. Don’t reach out from the upper body—protect and support your back. Too often people are afraid to ask for help when lifting something. Don’t lift something that you can’t manage comfortably. Ask for help. When you do lift, learn how to lift from your legs, squatting rather than bending. If necessary, use a back brace when lifting heavy objects.

Stretch when you begin the day. When we wake up we are usually stiff and even a slight motion can throw out the back. A physical therapist or a number of websites can give you stretching exercises that can help you limber up right away and avoid injury or sudden strain.