Common Activities That Are Hurting Your Back

Common Activities That Are Hurting Your Back

This content was medically reviewed by Baher S. Yanni, MD, on March 16th, 2016.

Taking care of your back is an ongoing process – it never ends, not even when you sleep. In our last blog, we explored how an old mattress can compromise your spine – there are so many things we do every day that add up to a sore back! In today’s blog, we are going to share two more things that people with back pain usually have in common.

You don’t do yoga

Any kind of exercise helps, but yoga is a step above when it comes to your back. Yoga relieves back pain faster than any other exercise. Studies have shown that yoga’s ability to address not only the physical discomfort but emotional discomfort is extremely effective. Sometimes, back pain is prompted by emotions, and yoga’s focus on breathing and relaxation can be incredibly powerful. You don’t have to be a yoga expert to receive the benefits – a little yoga goes a long way!

Your bike is wrong

Many bike riders experience lower back pain, and it’s usually because their seat isn’t in the right position. Many cyclists don’t have their seat high enough, which means their legs cannot extend. They end up hunching their backs, which leads to pain. We recommend you raise your seat until your leg can extend along the bottom of each pedal rotation. We also recommend you tilt the front of your seat down 10 to 15 degrees. This will relieve the pressure on your lower pelvis and prevent hunching.

At the Spine INA, we understand back pain and nerve pain. Contact us today for help with sciatica treatment and beyond!