We can sometimes overlook the simple ways in which we can help ourselves avoid pain associated with injury to muscles, tendons, discs and joints. Pain from these sources can start quickly if you fall or lift something too heavy, or it can slowly get worse.
It might be hard to avoid pain altogether but there are a few fairly simple things you can do to help avoid and manage it:
1 – Be Active
Engaging your core muscles and regularly exercising is key to maintaining your body’s health. This helps to avoid pain by strengthening your body’s postural muscles and also helps ensure tissue flexibility.
Exercise also helps to decreases the stress hormones such as Cortisol and increases endorphins which are your body’s natural feel good hormones.
Regardless of your occupation it’s important to try and move every 20 minutes to avoid strain from sustained postures and stimulate your circulation.
2- Maintain a Balanced Diet
Your body’s health is dependent on good nutrition for essential Vitamins & Minerals. An imbalance of these from the diet can add chemical stress to your body, meaning it may not be working at its optimum. A good diet also means you are likely to be of a healthy weight, which means less strain on your joints and back.
3 – Good Sleeping Posture
It’s best to be in a sleeping position which creates less physical stress on the back. The least physical load on your back when lying down is when you sleep with a pillow between your knees on your side. Sleeping on your stomach puts maximum tension on the lower back and neck and is best avoided.
4 – Keep Hydrated
Keep well hydrated; dehydration can make muscles ache and feel fatigued. It also helps keep you alert throughout the day and can help prevent headaches.
5- Stretch
Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. Stretching increases the blood flow not only to your muscles but your brain too, meaning more energy and better concentration.
When you first get out of bed it is important to gently stretch, avoid bending or doing anything sudden or strenuous until your body wakes up.
6- Get checked out if you are in pain
It is important to understand where your pain is coming from and identify potential reasons for it. This will help you not only know the best form of treatment but also how to avoid recurrent episodes.