The end-of-year celebrations are coming... There is no question of spending them in bed suffering from low back pain! Some tips to keep the party going.
Christmas and New Year's Eve are coming... It's time to celebrate! But when back pain comes into the festivities, it can quickly disrupt them. Here are some tips to ensure the preparations and enjoy your New Year's Eve, without the risk of causing or worsening back pain.
Cooking: monitor your position
Watch your back when you get cooking! If you have a standard-height worktop, don't multiply the preparation spaces: clean your surface at the end of each task so that you always work on the same one. This will avoid awkward positions, a "broken" back from a table that is too low, and unnecessary movements.
To do the dishes (and more generally in front of a worktop), approach the sink and bend one leg to put your body at the right height. Keep your back straight by tilting it forward slightly.
Shopping: avoid heavy
loads Shopping sessions before Christmas can be fatal for the back. A watchword: wear the right shoes! Wear comfortable shoes that hold your feet well. Forget heels!
You have planned a big gift for someone you love: a television, speakers, household appliances... But here's the thing, it weighs a ton! So get help to transport it. Also make sure to bend your knees well and keep your back straight to carry it.
If you choose to have it delivered, make sure that the delivery is made to your home (and not to the ground floor when you live on the fifth floor without a lift...).
Alcohol: beware of interactions with medication
When taking treatment to relieve low back pain, you must pay attention to the interactions between your medications and the alcohol you ingest. For example, the consumption of alcohol is strongly discouraged when taking paracetamol: both substances are toxic to the liver, and their combined effect can be harmful to it. Do not hesitate to refer to the instructions for use of your medicine to rule out any risk.
In addition, alcohol, through mechanisms that are still poorly understood (perhaps bad gestures due to drunkenness or the harmful effects of alcohol on the muscles), would be a risk factor for low back pain. A literature review1 concluded that alcohol consumption in addicted people seemed to be associated with complex and chronic forms of low back pain.
With or without low back pain, the recommendation is therefore always the same: alcohol should be consumed in moderation. So pay attention to the quantities, drink slowly, alternating each glass of alcohol with a glass of water, and accompany your drink(s) with food as an aperitif.
Dancing: it's good for the back!
Like swimming or walking, dancing is a sport that is gentle on the back muscles. In addition to strengthening them and promoting their flexibility, it encourages the body to adopt a good posture. So there is no reason to deprive yourself, provided of course that you avoid movements and dances that are too abrupt.
Moreover, what would be the most suitable dance for back pain? According to a study2 published in 2017, it seems that it's belly dancing!
Christmas: gift ideas for people suffering from back pain
The festive season is fast approaching, and with it comes the famous question: what should I get? If one of your loved ones suffers from back pain, why not opt for a useful and comforting gift?
For a long time, it was believed that a very firm mattress was an indicated treatment for back pain. Numerous studies have since contradicted this belief. To avoid or relieve back pain, a mattress must be chosen on a case-by-case basis, and replaced regularly!
Back pain in winter, a fatal season for back pain?
Who has never heard that damp weather is bad for rheumatism? Or their grandmother predicting bad weather by a sudden worsening of her back pain? The popular belief that the weather influences musculoskeletal disorders is widespread.
However, contrary to popular belief, back pain is not exacerbated by bad weather and may not even be related to the weather at all.
