Here's how to get rid of back pain and strengthen your spine (2023)

By Lipla Negi: When it comes to overall well-being and fitness, the health of your spine usually gets overlooked. It doesn't cross our mind until it starts hurting in the neck or the back. Rightly called the 'backbone', a healthy spine is vital to healthy life. "In simple terms, your spine is divided into three parts - upper (head & upper neck), middle (arms and shoulders and lower (lower back and legs)," explains Dr B.K. Jha, HOD - Physiotherapy, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon.

It houses the spinal cord, which is responsible for exchange of all neuronal signals from the brain to the rest of the body. The curves in the spine help support the body weight so that you move freely and enjoy an active life. "Without a healthy spine, you may not be able to accomplish the simple, daily activities - sit, stand, bend or lie down.

So taking care of your spine today is going to help lower the chances of back or neck pain later in life. The early your start, the better it is," says Dr Suneel Kumar, senior consultant -orthopedics, Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi.

While slouching and vitamin D deficiency are the main cause of backache in most cases, sedentary lifestyle is bad for your spine health. However, you do not need to do anything rigorous to keep it strong and flexible. From sitting upright to stretching more often, a few lifestyle changes can help you improve your overall spine health and help you lead an active life.

Also read: New study: Muscle exercises can help reduce lower back pain

Posture perfect: Slouching is the most common cause of back pain across all ages. Whether working on the desktop or playing video game on the laptop, slouching puts excessive pressure on the muscles and tendons in the lower back.

Sitting straight is crucial to the health of your spine. Place a pillow against your lower back to support its natural curve. It also prevents you from hunching forward. You can use it at work or while driving. Keep your chair as close to your desk as possible.

Make sure the screen of your computer is at the eye level and the mouse & keyboard within your reach so that you do not have to lean forward or roll your shoulders while working. Avoid sitting for long hours," explains Dr Mathankumar, Mohandass, senior physiotherapist and ergonomist, Recover clinic, New Delhi.

Lift the right way: It's very easy to give in to the temptation of lifting heavy weighs to build drool-worthy muscles. But lifting too heavy objects incorrectly may increase the chances of a spine injury. "Working out to gain more muscles is one thing and overdoing it is another. Young boys often land with disc collapse because of their enthusiasm for lifting weights at the gym.

There is a limit to the pressure that your disc can absorb or spine can take," says Dr Mohandass. Be careful and consult your fitness expert before you decide to lift weights that are too heavy than what your body can take.

Also read: 6 simple ways to get fitter, healthier, happier and more energetic in 2016

Moreover, it is advisable not to lift any heavy object mindlessly - there is a technique to it. "Use your legs rather than your back or upper body to pull up the item. If it's still difficult, seek help," suggests Dr Mohandass.

While picking an object from the floor such as a pencil or pen, do not bend at waist. Instead, squat down, bend your knees and then pick it. Avoid putting sudden pressure on your spine.

Muscles need more water: Water is indeed the miracle fluid. Drinking more water helps in protecting the spine. "Our musculoskeletal system needs a lot of water to flush out the toxins. Also, the intervertebral (spinal) disc is a fluid-filled structure, which is vulnerable to break down if the fluid flow is lesser than what is needed. The discs can also get easily strained. Dehydration also cause fatigue," says Dr Mohandass, adding that one should drink at least one glass of water every hour while working.

Also read: Be your best post baby: Expert backed tips to help you become a glowing mom

Limit the use of mobile: It's almost impossible to imagine a day without them! Mobile phones have become an inseparable part of our life today. But these mobile phones may be wrecking havoc on your spine. Pinning the cellphone between your ear and shoulder or looking down on its screen while texting or playing video games for long hours can cause severe neck and back pain.

According to a recent study published in the Ergonomics journal, we bend our head at a 60 degree angle to look at a phone screen, which puts 27 kg worth of pressure on the cervical spine, the part of the spine above the shoulders. "Young professionals and kids who play on their iPad or mobile phones for a long period often get neck and upper back pain. In some cases, people also complain of dizziness and headache, which is often mistaken as an eyesight issue or migraine symptom.

But instead, it is a pseudo headache, which is actually an upper cervical syndrome. Leaning your head forward to look at your mobile or iPad screen puts a lot of stress on your upper cervical (neck), which results in headache and dizziness. With specific exercises the cervical (neck) is moved back to its neutral position to give relief from the pain and restore the natural curve of the spine," explains Dr Jha.

Yoga for flexibility: Flexible spine means healthy you! An excellent way to warm up and cool down, yoga exercises as well as relaxes your muscles. "It's for both stretching and strengthening. It helps stretch fascia - the sheet of connective tissue covering the back muscles," says Dr Jha. However, expert suggests to go for yoga when you are physically fit and not in pain.

Also read: Following these strength training exercises will help you retain your bone health

"Do not look at yoga as something that will offer an immediate relief from that backache. Consult a yoga trainer before getting started as its important to understand how much pressure a certain yoga posture would put on your spine. If not done correctly, it can also aggravate the pain," warns Dr Mohandass.

Pelvic care: Back ache is common during and after pregnancy. There is an increased pressure on the spine & pelvic muscles to support yours as well as baby's weight. It is essential to do pelvic and spine exercises post delivery to strengthen them and ease the backache. "Avoid sleeping on one side or feeding the baby from one side only. It puts excessive pressure on one side of the pelvic and can lead to pelvic dysfunction," warns Dr Jha.

Junk the sit ups: Think sit ups are the best route to flaunt six-packs abs? You may be risking your back while doing all those sit ups. Experts say it's time to swap those sit ups with the plank. Today sit ups and crunches are seen as a key cause of lower back injuries. According to a recent study by University of Waterloo, Canada, sit-ups can squeeze the discs in the spine.

The study further revealed that over time they can bulge which presses on nerves, causes pain and can lead to a hernia. A classic plank is the best way to reduce pressure from the lower back and get a stronger core.

Say yes to sunshine: A little sunshine can work wonders in relieving that backache as well as strengthening your spine. Early morning is the best time to get daily dose of vitamin D. But avoid direct sunlight. Sunlight passing through the glass window works well. Women are more prone to osteoporosis, particularly after menopause, so they need to take a good dose of calcium along with vitamin D.

Besides sunlight, room temperature also plays an important role, say experts. "Optimal room temperature is needed for proper functioning of the muscles. So avoid working in cold temperature as cold makes the muscles vulnerable to injury. The room temperature (and not the temperature of the air conditioner) should be between 27 degree Celsius - 30 degree Celsius," advises Dr Mohandass.

Following are the three spine moves, which will help you get rid of neck and back pain.

Pelvic Tilt: These two postures alleviate lower back pain, and help boost lower back flexibility.

Step 1: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Step 2: Tighten your buttocks and roll your pelvic up so as to flatten your upper back against the floor, hold for 5 seconds, relax and repeat.

Bird dog stretch: A classic core exercise, it helps stabilise the lumbar spine (low back).

Step 1: Positioning the hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, try to engage your core and abdominal muscles. Keep neck & back straight.

Step 2: Raise your right arm and left leg, until they are parallel to the floor and hold for 5 seconds. Gently lower yourself back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

Cat and dog pose: While the dog tilt lengthens the spine, the cat tilt stretches the back torso and neck.

Step 1: Position your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath the hips. Make your back horizontal & flat.

Step 2: As you exhale, round your spine toward ceiling by contracting the buttocks and gently pulling your abdominal muscles backward towards the spine. Hold for 5 seconds and release.