Another nagging feeling in your lower back and it drives you crazy? Then you are not alone. Everyone has problems with his or her lower back. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce or even completely eliminate your lower back pain. Did your lower back pain develop without trauma? Then here are 10 tips to get rid of your lower back pain.

Get moving
Whether you have pain or not, movement is one of the most important things we can do for our body. It is good for our muscles, joints, ligaments, organs, immune system and a lot more. Whether you go to the gym, do yoga, get exercises from your physiotherapist or enjoy walking. It doesn't matter as long as you move.

Sitting position
We work more and more behind the computer. This has many advantages, but unfortunately many disadvantages for your body, including your lower back. Do you have a job where you have to sit a lot or are you a real gamer then this probably does not sound strange to you. Therefore, make sure that you change position every 10-15 minutes. You can do this by getting up and getting coffee or you can do some exercises. 

Stand
Sitting is bad, but try not to stand all day. Just like sitting, standing also has a major influence on low back pain. And just as with sitting, it is important not to stay in the same position. So try to avoid doing this by adjusting your posture every 15 minutes.

Sleeping position
A good sleeping position is not only important for the prevention of lower back pain, but also for reducing it. We have to sleep an average of 7 hours a night so it is also important to do this in the most comfortable position for our body. Of course we also move when we sleep, but it is important that we do fall asleep properly. The two most recommended positions are lying on your side and lying on your back. The side position is very relaxed for your lower back and so you also reduce pressure in the lower back. You can also put a pillow between your knees for extra comfort. If this doesn't work and you want to lie on your back, try tucking a pillow under your knees. This relieves your lower back.

Avoid lying on your stomach, as this can not only aggravate the pain but also cause neckproblems. It's difficult to adjust a sleeping position, especially if you've been doing it for years, but in many cases it can be worth it.

Lift correctly
Correct lifting is very important. If you lift the wrong way, not much will go wrong in the first instance. Maybe some stiffness or a nagging feeling, but if you do this constantly it can lead to more pain or worse complaints such as hernias. With a correct lifting position, it is important to stand hip-width apart and mainly lift from your legs. And that the weight does not exceed 16 kilograms. 

Stop smoking
You may have known that smoking is not good for your health. Not only is it bad for your lungs, but it can also be a factor in low back pain. Smoking can affect the blood circulation in your blood vessels. In order to use your lower back correctly, your muscles, among other things, need to have a good blood circulation.

Overweight and low back pain
Obesity is a major problem in our society. Besides the fact that it is unhealthy, this can also have a major influence on low back pain. The heavier you are, the more pressure will build up in your lower back. At some point, this pressure can start to give pain. So try to maintain a healthy weight. If you have trouble with this, it might be a good idea to talk to a doctor or a dietician.

Shoes and low back pain
Shoes and the low back. Sounds strange right? But there is indeed a link between the two. If you have wrong or old shoes or flat feet, you will create a crooked position in your lower back. This does not have to be a problem, but if you have this constantly, the muscles in your lower back can become overloaded. So think about your shoes. Make sure you have a good pair. You can have this checked by a podologist. Try not to wear high heels, these shorten your calf muscles and hamstrings and put extra pressure in your feet and lower back.

Suitcase / handbag and low back complaints
By constantly holding your suitcase or handbag on one side, you ensure that the muscles on that side shorten and will be b more. By shortening you will create a skew in the joints, which will cause extra pressure on that side in the joints. Therefore, make sure that you vary this a lot.

Go see a professional 
Do these 9 tips not work? Have you used all these tips and has it not helped? No problem, there are several roads to Rome. And several ways to get rid of your back pain. You can go to the physiotherapist, osteopath or chiropractor and they can help you with this. 

Good luck.

Any questions, feedback or ideas for new posts? Just message me. 

Sascha Bargi BSc PT. & MSc Ost. in training