Even seemingly innocuous activities contribute to back pain…

So much of life is blazed through in a haze of semi-consciousness; when you are sidelined by back pain, it is hard to scan through the past days, months and years to determine the cause of the pain. In all likelihood, the pain has emerged from a combination of malefactors which have culminated into a breaking point. If you are fortunate enough to be reading this from the vantage point of not having back pain, it is worth taking a look at our list of everyday habits that are hurting your spine to determine if you have room for improvement (we would wager that you do). 

Everyday habits that contribute to back pain

• You sleep on an old mattress: the truth hurts. If your mattress is not providing adequate support for your spine, it is single-handedly undoing any good work you have done for your spine during the day during a time that is supposed to be restorative. 
• You wear unsupportive footwear: do you live in your flip flops; are high heels your go-to fancy footwear? These shoes destabilize the spine and send shock waves (literally) up to the spine. 
• You veg out too much: you may be a bookworm or a Netflix bingewatcher, but you are not doing your spine any favors. Even incorporating simple stretches while still sitting on the couch can break the monotony of stagnation that has your spine stuck and stiff.
• You don’t veg out at all: a normal response to sustained levels of stress is for muscles to tense, pulling the spine out of balance and leaving you stiff and sore.
• Your commute is killing you: the vast majority of car seats are not ergonomically supportive. Taken minute by minute, your half hour commute is potentially doing more damage than hours spent doing other activities. Investing in a simple lumbar pillow and focusing on maintaining an upright, relaxed posture while driving can do wonders to change the way you feel arriving at the office. 

Taking spinal health seriously starts with awareness of the habits that are contributing to your back pain

At our office in Milpitas, we are dedicated to helping you improve your spinal health across the board. If you are interested in freeing your back from the cycle of pain and stiffness that is so ubiquitous among the adult population, give our office a call to schedule an appointment and we can start working toward a future with better spinal health today.