LIVING LIFE IN CHRONIC PAIN – The latest news on health, lifestyle, wellbeing, treatments, reviews and tips on chronic pain
Back Pain Blog
Create a morning routine that energizes you. A great way to start your new morning routine is to take some quiet time after waking up to focus on the positive energy of your day. You can do this through meditation, positive thoughts, affirmation or visualization exercises, says Valencia Porter, MD, MPH, director of women’s health […]
How to Start the Day More Energetic? — General Health Magazine
According to Furniture Choice new research shows that the average Brit spends a whopping 44 days (that’s 1,060 hours) sat on the sofa each year.
If you prefer working from your sofa, maintaining proper alignment from your neck through your hips and pelvis is essential. Well and Good writes “Make sure your buttocks are pressed firmly against the back of your couch with a small cushion, or roll up a towel and keep it pressed against your lower back. This should allow your lower back to arch back slightly and not slump forward,” he explains. This also keeps your head in line with your shoulders and spine and your hips in a neutral position.
Try and sit in a position where you can keep your eye level straight ahead and aimed at the centre of your computer screen rather than looking down at your lap. You can raise it on books or cushions. This will help to keep your spine aligned and prevent low back or neck pain.
You could also add two or three cushions behind you to support your upper back to prevent from slumping. Supporting your upper back rather than your lower will help to keep your pelvis and your spine upright and your head will also be better balanced which will then reduce pressure on the lower back.
Sit with your knees level with your hips and try to avoid crossing your legs or lounging with your feet up on the sofa.
The worst offenders are the laptops that we are using to work for eight hours or more a day. When you use a laptop without external equipment (like a keyboard or a mouse) you are much more likely to develop neck and upper back pain, Make sure you have an ergonomic key board and mouse. These can be supported on cushions if sitting on the sofa.
You could also hook your TV up as your monitor if you have the right HDMI cable.
Take regular breaks and walk around. Do a few lower back and neck exercises. You can find lots of them online.
Buy a laptop stand and if you can afford one buy a desk to put it on and invest in the right chair to sit at your desk.
Wear a posture corrector like this one from Active Posture, It activates and stimulates the muscles, it can relieve pain and tensions, improves postural awareness, has a documented effect for work, exercise and leisure.
Source: Well & Good Swyfthome Furniture Choice Active Posture
Osteopenia is when your bones are weaker than normal and your bone density is lower than the average adult, but not so far gone that they break easily, which is the hallmark of osteoporosis. Your bones are usually at their densest when you’re about 30. Osteopenia, if it happens at all, usually occurs after age 50. The exact age depends on how strong your bones are when you’re young. If they’re hardy, you may never get osteopenia. If your bones aren’t naturally dense, you may get it earlier. Aging is the most common risk factor for osteopenia.
I wrote an article Osteopenia and Back Pain in April last year.
Osteopenia is considered a chronic condition, but it affects everyone differently. While some people with osteopenia may struggle to complete daily tasks without experiencing intense back pain or injuring a bone, other people don’t even realize they have this condition.
Osteopenia is a condition in which a person’s bone density levels are lower than normal, increasing their risk of spinal fractures and other injuries.
Sinicropispine writes – People are more likely to develop osteopenia as they age. When the body ages, it begins to lose bone density. Nothing can completely halt this process. However, there are certain risk factors that can increase a person’s likelihood of developing osteopenia or osteoarthritis, including:
Osteopenia can make a person more vulnerable to certain spinal conditions and injuries. Bone loss can greatly increase a patient’s risk of spinal vertebrae fractures.
Typically, most patients don’t even realize they have osteopenia until they sustain an injury (i.e. spinal fracture) that may indicate the condition. Bone density scans are recommended for patients between the ages of 65 and 70. If you have a family history of osteoporosis, you should get a density scan at age 60 or earlier.
I have suffered from chronic back pain for over 20 years and I was diagnosed with Osteopenia three years ago and had another DXA bone scan in January for which I am waiting for the results. I have never smoked so I didn’t need to stop that but I was given daily calcium tablets to take.
You can take action to prevent osteopenia. The right exercise and food choices may help keep your bones strong. If you have osteopenia, ask your doctor how to improve and prevent worsening so you can avoid osteoporosis.
Source: Sinicropispine
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