Your Health

How to stay active

The sooner you are active again, the better. While the pain is severe, you can rest. But you will need to find a balance between being as active as you can and not irritating your back pain. The rules are simple:

• Keep moving.
• Do not stay in one position for long.
• Move about before you stiffen up.
• Move a little further and faster each day.
• Don't stop doing things. Just change the way you are doing them.

Here are some examples:

Sitting

Choose a chair and position that is comfortable. Support the small of your back. Get up regularly.

Desk work

Adjust the height of your chair to suit your desk. Arrange your keyboard and monitor so you are comfortable. Get up and move around regularly.

Driving

Adjust your seat from time to time, and support the small of your back. Take regular breaks.

Lifting

Think before you lift. Do not lift more than you need to. Keep the load close to your body and bend at your knees and hips instead of your back.

Sleeping

Some people find a firmer mattress helps. Support your spine in a neutral posture by using a pillow under your knees when lying on your back or a pillow between your legs when lying on your side. Try acetominophen or ibruprofen an hour before you go to bed.

Back to "Back problems can be solved by staying active"

	About Wave Wave is published six times a year by the Winnipeg Health Region in cooperation with the Winnipeg Free Press. It is available at newsstands, hospitals and clinics throughout Winnipeg, as well as McNally Robinson Books. Read the Summer 2010 issue of Wave