Don’t Be a Victim: Ways to Tackle the Ever-Growing Back Pain Pandemic.

 

Thank you for reading our article below. If you missed part 1 “Sitting is harming your back & your wellbeing. Here’s how” - you can find it here. 

More people are suffering from back pain than ever before—and it’s a pandemic that’s sweeping the globe.

Several studies show that back pain is now the world’s most common disability issue, with roughly 76.5 million people suffering from persistent pain or injury. 

A sharp rise in remote working coupled with our increasingly sedentary lifestyles is fuelling this painful pandemic—and if you’re one of the millions of people suffering from back pain, there’s something you should know: you might be sitting down too much.

Sitting down too much harms your back and your wellbeing, leading to low moods, reduced productivity, and of course, chronic pain in your upper back or lumbar region.

But, you don’t have to be a victim. Here we’re looking to explore how you can tackle the ever-growing back pain pandemic and work towards a brighter, happier, healthier future.

Create healthier habits

Developing good habits and making better lifestyle choices will give you more energy while improving your overall health. In turn, this will boost your productivity levels and help you maintain a healthy weight—taking the strain off your back in the process.

Here are three sustainable lifestyle habits or choices that will help you boost your health and keep your back pain at bay:

Add anti-inflammatory foods to your diet: Many people overlook diet and its role in physical and mental wellbeing—but it’s important. Food is both fuelling and medicinal and by eating anti-inflammatory foods, you can help to make your back pain more manageable. Weaving foods including ginger, turmeric, raw nuts, coffee, red grapes, cherries, pulses, and salmon into your diet will help to take the edge off your back pain.

Sleep well, sleep consistently: Setting a consistent bedtime routine and committing to getting seven hours of sleep every night will help your body rest and repair. Sleeping well will also improve your mental resilience, giving you the tools to manage and tackle your back pain during the day. Going to bed at the same time every night and putting down your screen an hour or so beforehand will help you settle into a quality sleep—placing a pillow between your legs will also give your back support while you sleep.

Set up a solid workspace: If you work at home, it’s more than likely your office setup is contributing to your back pain (probably more than anything else). To keep your back pain at bay and ultimately, tackle it, creating a safe, productive, and ergonomically sound workspace is essential. No ifs. No buts. No exceptions. Fortunately, our practical guide to setting up the ideal workspace will help get you started.

Take a stand

Creating better lifestyle habits will form the very foundations of a life without back pain—but eating and sleeping well alone won’t spare you from inconvenience, or agony.

So, what’s the best thing you can do to tackle back pain head on? Take a stand.

Sitting is considered the new smoking—with excess time spent on your bottom responsible for an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension, obesity, low mood, and (we think you know what’s coming), back pain. A cocktail of health and wellbeing-hindering issues.

But, why does excessive sitting cause back pain, exactly? Well, one of the primary reasons is because sitting down for too long causes postural stress. Basically, it promotes bad posture which leads to issues, ailments, and of course, pain.

Harvard Health suggests that poor posture while working is also linked to problems including incontinence, constipation, and digestive problems.

Inadequate work stations are largely responsible for reduced muscle function, bad joint alignment, scoliosis, constant fatigue, potbelly, and endless aches and pains.

So, what can you do to flip the script? Put your chair in the corner and stand up. Stretch upwards, place yourself in a vertical position, and let the better times begin.

Standing up while you work will reduce your risk of obesity and cardiovascular issues by helping you to burn more calories. Taking a stand also helps to boost mood and energy levels—and perhaps most importantly, significantly reduces back pain. 

In fact, A study from the CDC discovered that standing up more minimised upper back and neck pain by 54% after just four weeks.

If you looked at our guide to setting up a better workspace, you will have noticed we talk about the health-boosting power of the standing desk:

https://youtu.be/W4A4G-43S3k

Are you ready to take a stand and take control of your back pain? Our cutting-edge standing desks are expertly designed and crafted to optimise your performance, improve your posture, and tackle back pain. Each design is made from sustainable materials, takes seconds to set up, and is completely portable. This is the pain-busting solution you’ve been waiting for.

It’s time to shift your mindset…

Did you know? Taking ibuprofen on a daily basis over a long period of time can increase your risk of a stroke. And, at between £2 and £7 a pack, long term use can prove costly.

Masking your back aches with painkillers long term essentially becomes an avoidance tactic—and one that can cost your health. But, the good news is: now you know what to do.

Rather than suffering and merely masking your back pain, you can invest in your health the right way—with a standing desk.

Standing up will make a sustainable difference to your life, giving you a fighting chance to take charge of your back pain once and for all.

Are you ready to flip the script? Read ‘it’s time to take a stand against back pain’ for more inspiration, coming soon...