I usually travel to work by car but at this very moment as I type I’m on a Tube train heading into central London. The seats here are poorly shaped (one size doesn’t fit all, I suppose), the train is jolting me side to side and I’m trying to finish this chapter half hunched over my laptop. It’s not difficult to see how modern life takes a toll on our general health. What I do know is that though I may, often unwittingly, commit various posture sins from time to time, I am becoming increasingly aware of them and can take a moment to stretch a bit and then readjust to the best possible position.

Travelling posture can be a big issue, but many of us are stuck behind an office desk for 8 hours or so each working day. If that’s you, there are a number of key factors you need to assess to ensure you’re sitting correctly at your desk and/or computer screen.

How to sit at work

• Make sure you use an upright chair that supports your lower back. If your chair is not well designed, you can always support the small of your back with a small cushion or rolled up towel
• Check that your desk height allows your wrists to rest level or a touch lower than your elbows
• Sit up straight all the time - with your shoulders comfortably back
• Make sure your knees are level with, or a touch lower than, your hips
• Avoid crossing your legs - instead ensure your feet can rest flat on the floor and point directly forward. A raised footrest can be useful if the floor’s just too far down.

For many years I actually used a kind of bar stool rather than a backed seat at work and ensured my desk was raised to the perfect height for me. Most of my colleagues thought it was a passing fad, but I kept things this way for several years and I know it helped me avoid the spine-compromising slouches of too many fellow staff.

At home I often use a wedge-shaped cushion that ensures my knees are a little lower that my hips. It certainly does me a lot of good when I’m in one of my flat-seated dining room chairs and from feedback I’ve received this little aid is very helpful for many.

Monitor

• Your computer monitor should be at least an arm’s length away to avoid strain on your eyes
• Your eyes should line up with the very top of the screen when your head is correctly positioned
• Aim to position the monitor so it reflects as little overhead lighting and sunlight as possible

Keyboard & Mouse

1. Keep your wrists straight, not bent up or down. You can buy ‘wrist rests’ to see if this help - a mouse matt with a ‘wrist rest’ build-in may improve things too, if you use the mouse a lot
2. Your elbows should remain directly under your shoulders - position the mouse matt correctly to allow this
3. Hands should rest on the keyboard a little lower than you elbows
4. As much as possible, to avoid awkward stretching or twisting, keep frequently used objects within easy reach. This would include your telephone, pen holder, stapler, etc.

In addition to these, learning to touch type will do wonders for your posture - avoiding the need to look down most of the time as you type. Seriously consider also getting a phone headset if you spend a lot of time on the phone.

Take a break and move a bit

Even with the best possible posture, if your job is computer-based, you must make sure you take regular breaks away from your desk. A sensible guide is to have at least five to ten minutes’ break for every hour at your keyboard. Just get up and move around. Take time to get a drink of water and/or visit other colleagues for discussions about work (standing correctly when you do, of course). Even whilst at your desk take regular opportunities to look away from your screen and focus on something in the distance for a few seconds to rest your eyes.

Gentle exercise can help to relax your muscles, reduce eye strain and clear your mind - your body will thank you for giving it a little time and concern.

Back pain is the 3rd leading cause of people visiting their doctor next to colds and flu. Most everyone in the world will experience back pain at least once in their lifetime. So how do you prevent back pain from happening and how do you fix it once you have it? Well there are many physician or home remedies for back pain prevention and at the end of this article you will find 2 great resources that will help you prevent and end back pain for good.

What Can You Do For Back Pain Prevention?

Honestly, you should always consult your doctor if you feel pain to ensure you don’t injure yourself any further or before a new exercise program.

Exercise

Yep, exercise is the most important part of preventing many health-related issues and is especially beneficial when done in association with a good back pain prevention program. Learn the proper way to do it for your particular back aliment, and if you haven’t exercised much in a while take it slow and easy at first. Purchase an exercise video which you might enjoy, take a walk through the park, walk your dog or the neighbor’s dog, and be sure what exercise you do is varied from day to day.

If you recently had a good regular exercise routine but now have difficulties from back pain, check out the resources at the end of this article for a step-by-step game plan to get you back in action.

Stretch Your Muscles

Do some stretching in the morning to start your day. If you are unsure how to do this, there are many materials on the Internet and at your local book store that can help you. Scoot the coffee table aside and take up your floor, start stretching, and give your body the attention it needs.

Improve Your Posture

Most of us don’t think about this much, but your posture greatly affects how the curvature of your spine reacts. While sitting in your car, at the office, or at home, you can use a lumbar support sold at most major retail stores. This helps keep your back in the intended position and reduces the risk of injury later. When standing, stand up straight. Ok, now maybe I’m starting to sound a little like your mother, but it’s true. Standing up straight balances the load of the body between the stomach and back muscles. When you slouch, your back carries all of the weight of your body.

Another thing to think about also is if you carry your wallet in your back pocket consider putting it in your front packet as sitting on it will offset you posture to one side and is not good for your back.

Watch Your Weight

Added weight on your joints and muscles can cause pain in peculiar places. Your back is usually the first to experience it since it is made up completely of joints. Added weight pulls your back in toward your stomach to compensate and balance your body. Once your back begins to pull, your hips start changing direction, your knees begin to hurt from the strange position of the joints, your ankles begin to hurt and you might even begin experiencing frequent headaches. There are many advantages to watching your weight.

Good Diet

A good diet keeps your bones and tissues strong and reduces your chances of pain. Depriving your body of the water and nutrients it needs may cause your bones to be brittle and your muscles to seize. Seizing of the muscles could cause a cramping effect and lock them up or cause them to deteriorate for lack of protein. Your muscles need the right foods, too. Once your muscles begin to cramp, they pull excessively between the connections they have to the bones. In the event your muscles cramp in your back, they will pull on the bones in your back. Remember, your back is made up of many joints and the muscles could pull enough to pull that joint out of place and cause pain.

Take Care of Your Feet - Feet?

Fact is, your feet are the basis for the alignment of your body. If you put your feet in uncomfortable shoes, your back will tell the tale. Also, arch supports are a very good way to help straighten out your posture without any effort.

Be Careful of Lifting

Be sure you understand how to properly lift objects. Lifting a heavy box might cause your back to scream at you in pain. There are many things to know on how to lift different objects. See the resources below for more information on this. Use common sense too. If it is too heavy for you, get some assistance. You need to know the seven Do’s of lifting and bending in the resources below.

In the end, your body is the only one you have. Much like a well serviced car, if you take care of it you will get some good mileage out of it. If ever in doubt, consult your physician. If you do your part for back pain prevention, your body will do its part for you.

Does This Sound Familiar?

You have tried everything and spent thousands of dollars searching for a cure to your back pain. You think your only option other then surgery is to endure the pain forever. You have been told time and time again that nothing can be done about it. Well, back pain is treatable and you can start feeling better.

Some of the help you can get from the resources below are: The best sleeping position for a healthy, strong, and pain free back. How to build a better back with exercises to promote back health and how to exercise without experiencing severe, prolonged pain afterwords! The six Don’ts of lifting and bending ,in avoiding these six things you will avoid painful and dangerous injuries. What you need to know about heat and cold treatments and which one is right for you! New treatments outside of drugs that actually help with the problem and not just the symptoms! What medications you should never take because the side effects will produce back pain symptoms. The answer to why back pain comes and goes? How to know when you are going to have a spell and a specific way to relieve the pain from getting worse!

In the world in which we live-a world of hectic lifestyles, unhealthy eating habits, lack of regular exercise and poor posture, pain in the lower back has come to be one of the most common ailments affecting people. There are many potential lower back pain remedies available for those suffering with pain in the lower back and sciatica. As with most health problems, successful remedies for do not involve quick fixes. Fortunately, there are many different remedies from which to choose that can relieve your pain and improve your mobility and quality of life. These remedies may include but are not limited to applying ice and heat, bed rest, exercise, medications, spinal manipulation, biofeedback, physical therapy, and surgery.

Many lower back pain remedies concentrate on breathing and relaxation, which not only work the muscles, but can relieve stress. Rest is one of the most effective remedies. Exercise is also one of the most common back pain solutions recommended by doctors. In most cases, it is possible to treat acute pain in the lower back with over-the-counter medications. Taking over-the-counter pain relievers and resting can help short-term, but these should never be substituted for long-term back pain remedies.

Traditional pain remedies may involve powerful painkillers and bed rest. Of course you can also take muscle relaxants as part of your treatment, but remember that pain killers and muscle relaxants don’t always address the actual cause of your back discomfort. Any effective pain remedies should address the actual cause of the pain rather than just mask it with pain killers.

Many people nowadays are shifting to natural pain remedies hoping to get some relief from their symptoms without the risks associated with taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs. Chiropractic therapy does so without drugs or medicine while still providing joint, head, and back pain relief that really work. Inversion therapy has been used to help sufferers of back pain as one of the most successful all-natural low back pain remedies by allowing gravity to do its work.

Traditional Chinese medicine, with its 2500 year old history, offers many remedies for pain - lower back stretches, lower back strengthening exercises, massage techniques, acupuncture, herbal remedies, liniments, sticking plasters and others. Acupuncture can significantly reduce pain in the back and serve as a great option when you try to find remedies for any type of pain.

If these treatment options don’t seem to be working, you should consult your family physician, who may refer you to a specialist. Remedies for lower back pain and for nerve discomfort include taking anticonvulsants to relax the nerve, and interventional therapy can be used to block nerve pain by injecting steroids or local anesthetics into the area that is inflamed. Your physician may also prescribe some various types of physical therapy to help ease your discomfort. In the end, by knowing your options and maybe even employing more than one of the lower back pain remedies available, you may save yourself a lot of pain and discomfort.