Bad posture, bad posture and overuse are the main causes of back pain. They usually lead to unpleasant discomfort, but fortunately usually disappear relatively quickly even if untreated. However, to the chagrin of almost all sufferers, back pain often occurs on a regular basis. This is usually due to lack of exercise. Often the back muscles are too weak. Sitting at a desk or in a car for long periods of time every day is often associated with an incorrect sitting posture and leads to slackening and incorrect strain on the muscles.
Incorrect posture causes tension
Incorrect postures often cause tension in the muscles. The muscles lose their normal extensibility due to the incorrect load, they harden and hurt. Often these tensions are caused by bad postures in the neck and shoulder area. The tension in the upper spine then continues downward. Pain in the lumbar region is therefore not exclusively due to poor posture in this area. It is merely the painful area there that is triggered by tension throughout the back. The consequences range from dizziness, circulatory problems, headaches and nausea to chronic back pain, which means a massive reduction in quality of life. But also anxiety, frustration, excessive demands and stress cause tension.
Inner tension leads to physical tension
If there is seldom time to enjoy life in a relaxed and serene manner, then the inner tension also leads to a physically noticeable tension. People with back pain often get into a vicious circle as a result. Because of their pain, they withdraw. Loneliness and a lack of pleasures lead to increasing inner tension. As a result, many people suffer from depression. This restriction of the quality of life increases the tendency to tension and increases the risk of suffering from back pain. Even the bad premonition of possibly not being able to take part in the next nice outing due to back pain increases the risk of actually suffering from back pain shortly beforehand.
Help with back pain
People who suffer from back pain more frequently can do something for their backs to significantly improve their quality of life. Learning relaxation techniques enables those affected to recognize internal tension at an early stage and release it with the help of targeted exercises. With the help of stress management training, those affected can learn to live with their stress in such a way that they can keep the physical and mental consequences to a minimum. Massages and baths offer a pleasant and beneficial application for physical and inner relaxation. They promote blood circulation to the muscles and thus loosen existing tensions. But the most important thing is to keep moving. When every movement hurts, however, that is sometimes easier said than done. Physical relaxation under pain – an impossibility?
Do medications help with a sore back?
Certainly, it is often useful to relieve the pain with medication. Stopping the pain not only makes it easier to move and relax. Once the pain is subdued, bad postures also come off more easily. Suitable painkillers include paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid and ibuprofen. But once the pain has passed, the worry about the back is out of most people’s minds again until the next time. However, with the help of targeted, regularly applied exercises, you could do a lot and at the very least significantly extend the period until the next occurrence of back pain.
10 Exercises to strengthen the back and relax muscle tension.
These exercises are designed to help you release your tension and stretch your muscles and ligaments in a pleasant way. The goal of the exercises is relaxation and invigoration. Athletic excellence and overuse are not intended. Put together a favorite program from these exercises that you repeat regularly. Each section of the back should be loosened by at least one exercise, as tension is rarely limited to one painful area. You’ll feel yourself gaining strength and energy from them, and you’ll quickly be fit for new challenges.
- Neck roll: Turn your head to one side up to your shoulder. Let your arms hang loosely and close your eyes.Now slowly turn your head to the center. Let it hang loosely down and exhale slowly. As you slowly roll your head to the other shoulder, slowly inhale again. Repeat this exercise for as long as you feel comfortable. Feel how tension in your neck is released in the process.
- Shoulder circling: Now circle your shoulders slowly in a clockwise direction. In this exercise, it is important that you use the range of motion of your shoulders without it hurting. Speed does not matter. Repeat circular motion in the opposite direction. Here you loosen the muscles in the shoulder girdle.
- Stretch your back: stand about an arm’s length away in front of your desk. Bend your upper body forward and place your palms loosely on the desk. Now shift your pelvis backward to stretch your back. Breathe calmly while doing this. In this way, you release tension.
- Rotate your back: Now turn your upper body to one side as far as possible while sitting. The buttocks remain on the seat. The shoulder area rotates with it. Breathe out as you do so. Turn back to the center, inhaling as you do so, and continue turning to the other side, exhaling again. Speed is not important in this exercise. Take your time. Use the flexibility of your back. You may want to hold one twisting position to one side for a while and then hold the other position. So you loosen your back muscles.
- Let your back swing: Sit up straight. The feet are next to each other on the floor. The head hangs loosely down. Now swing your whole back forward. The head lifts loosely, the buttocks lift only slightly from the seat. Breathe in while doing this. Swing back again and exhale. Repeat this exercise calmly as long as it is comfortable and feel how your back becomes more flexible again.
- Stretch and bend: stand up straight, take a deep breath while stretching your arms far up. While doing this, go up on your toes. Lower your arms as you exhale, stand back on the whole sole of your feet and finally bend forward, letting your arms dangle as you do so.
- Swinging arms: Extend your arms forward while standing and then let them swing back and forward again. Please note that the arms describe a semicircle. The exercise has an invigorating effect and loosens the shoulder girdle.
- Circle arms: Now circle arms while standing. Stay loose at the knees. This exercise promotes blood circulation and oxygenation of all organs.
- Stretch your calves: Support yourself with both hands on your desk top. Angle one leg, stretch the other straight back. Now try to press your heel to the floor a few times, as far as it does not cause pain. Alternate your legs. This exercise promotes blood circulation and has an invigorating effect.
- Strengthening the abdominal muscles: sit down again to finish. Now before you go back to work, lift your outstretched legs to horizontal. While doing this, breathe in and keep your legs suspended for a while. This will strengthen your abdominal muscles and get your circulation going again. But do not tense up. Instead, lift your legs a few times in succession and put them back down again. A flowing sequence of movements is better for your body than a stormy feat of strength.
