Better Nutrition February 2019

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/// BY VERA TWEED
3 Natural Ways to
Prevent and Relieve Back Pain
Back pain is all too common in our hunched-over, digital world, but there are
simple ways to reduce or avoid it
“We live in a movement-deprived culture,”
says Bradford Butler, DC, author of The
Blueprint for Back Pain: The Essential
Guide to Non-Surgical Solutions. That
fact, he says, predisposes us to stiff and
shortened muscles that disrupt the
alignment of the 24 vertebrae in our
spine, putting pressure on nerves and
eventually causing pain.
Here’s an example: If you sit all day at
work, the hamstring muscles in the back
of your thighs get shorter. If you don’t
compensate by stretching, they pull on
the pelvis when you stand, stressing the
spine. To feel the stretch, stand up and,
with straight legs shoulder-width apart,
bend forward from the hips. Here are
some other basic tips from Butler:
Drink more water: Dehydration
can cause the muscles in your back to
stiffen and even spasm. And, the discs
in your spine need to be well-hydrated
to cushion vertebrae.
Keep muscles flexible
and strong: Take frequent
breaks from sitting, and
walk or move around enough to raise
your heart rate a bit and increase
blood circulation. “Muscles want the
nutrients and the oxygen that blood
carries to them,” says Butler. Yoga
is another good way to increase
flexibility and strength.
Sleep on a good mattress:
If you need to stretch out
stiff muscles when you
wake up, it’s time for a
new mattress—one that
gives you support
without pressure
points. And, don’t sleep
on your stomach.
Last but not least,
follow the
advice you
probably got as
a child: Sit up
straight instead
of slouching.
10 • FEBRUARY 2019