Habits That Are Hurting Your Back - Part 2

6. Sleeping on an old mattress.

Sleeping on an old, worn out mattress causes your spine to sag.  When you spend up to 1/3 of the day sleeping, the integrity of your mattress makes a huge difference in the health of your spine.  A sagging mattress can cause the ligaments and small muscles that support your spine to slowly stretch over time creating misalignments in the spine.  The changes in supporting musculature can cause other larger muscles to overcompensate causing trigger points, muscles spasms and increased muscle tone.  It is recommended to replace your mattress every 5-7 years, especially if you suffer from back pain.

7. Wearing high heels.

Wearing high heels significantly alters your posture.  Positioning your heels unnaturally above your toes tilts your pelvis forward and hyper-extends your lumbar spine.  The altered posture puts pressure on the lumbar spine and low back muscles causing pain.  

8. Letting stress build up.

Stress and anger take a physical toll on your body by causing muscle tension in the low back.  Also, when you get stressed, your body releases a hormone from the adrenal glands called “cortisol” which helps to regulate blood sugar.  When too much cortisol is released, the adrenal glands become fatigued.  One of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue is low back pain!  Always take time to de-stress when you feel it starting to build up.  Your back will thank you!

9. Watching too much TV.

Statistics show that watching 15 or more hours of TV per week results in a 3% increase in low back pain; especially when you sit on an over sized sofa or a broken-in Lazy Boy.  Sitting in furniture that is not supportive is similar to sleeping on an old, worn out mattress.  The same slow stretching of the supporting ligaments of the spine can occur, causing low back pain.  Love TV?  Here’s how you can help combat the problem…get up and walk around or stretch during those dreaded commercials.

10. Ignoring back pain.

If you have low back pain, DON’T ignore it!  In most cases, the pain will continue to get progressively worse and can start to interfere with your work, social life and other daily activities.  There are so many different causes of low back pain that it is important to get evaluated and properly treated to prevent further injury.  Chiropractors are experts in treating back and neck pain. 

If you or someone you know in the Gallatin Valley area is looking for a chiropractor, please call Dr. Shea Stark with Pro Chiropractic at 406-388-9915 to schedule an appointment in our Belgrade, Manhattan, or Bozeman chiropractic clinics. Dr. Stark is a board certified chiropractor and the author of this blog post. To learn more about Dr. Stark and the many benefits of chiropractic care, please visit our website: www.prochiromt.com.