To stay alive and healthy, your back needs to move every day. The right of motion nourish your back and help keep it flexible and free of pain. Moving improperly or too little, though, can lead to many back problems – problems that often begin in your discs, the “shock absorbers” of your spine. Fortunately, almost everyone with back problems can benefit from self-care – even those who need surgery.

When back pain strikes

Whether it comes as the sharp pain of a sudden injury, an occasional twinge, or a constant daily ache, back pain can interfere with your life. Striking four out of five people sometimes in their lives, back pain develop because you move incorrectly or have a sedentary lifestyle – and move too little. Or you may have fallen into the “weekend athlete” trap, where you exercise only once in a while. But whatever the cause, you can help reduce and prevent back pain with self-care.

Self-care can help

Once you’ve had a medical evaluation to diagnose your spine or disc problem, you can learn how to use daily selfcare. It may be all that’s needed to treat your back and keep it healthy. Understanding anatomy may help you see how the way you move every day can help or hurt your back. Learning good body mechanics helps you do simple everyday movements safely and efficiently. And with daily back exercises, you can strengthen your back and improve flexibility for easier movement.

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