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a
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LIGHTEN YOUR PURSE
“When women come into my office with
backaches, neck aches, and headaches,
I weigh their purses,” says Dr. Jane Sadler,
a family practice physician at the Baylor
University Medical Center at Garland,
Texas. “Some are 7,
8
, even 10 pounds.”
Hauling a big bag throws your back’s
alignment off. “You counterbalance by
hiking up one shoulder. This puts extra
stress on the neck, upper back, and
shoulders,” Sadler says.
B ETTER BACK A D V IC E
Use a shoulder
bag, a messenger-style bag, or, on more
casual days, a backpack to distribute the
weight more evenly across your
shoulders. “Carry only the bare
essentials—a small wallet, cell phone, one
lipstick, and some compressed powder or
a few tissues,” says Sadler.
TAKE BACK BREAKS
Sitting at a desk for hours deprives your
inactive back muscles of oxygen and
nutrients. Over time, muscles grow tight
and prone to pain.
B ETTER BACK A D V IC E
Every 15
minutes or so stop what you’re doing,
clasp your fingers together, and reach
for the ceiling. Do a few neck and
shoulder rolls and any other seated
stretches that feel good. Every hour,
continued on page iHti
THE NEXT STEP
B A CK HEALTH
Trouble
Shooters
DR. B O N ES
Goto
osteopathic.org
to find
a doctor specializing in
osteopathic manipulative
treatment, a fancy
term for a procedure
that realigns your spine.
STIFF M ORNINGS
If pain keeps you in
slow motion in the
morning until you
loosen up, have
your doctor check
for osteoarthritis.
YOUR BRAIN ON
PAIN
Chronic back
pain can shrink the
thinking parts of the
brain by as much as
n percent, or the
equivalent of io to
20 years of aging.
<D’ IS FOR
ELIV ER A N C E
or people with
ronic problems, a
daily dose of 2,000
lUs of the vitamin D
type cholecalciferol
can reduce or
eliminate back pain.
LIFT PRO PERLY
Bend at the knees
instead of at the
back. As you lift,
tighten your
stomach muscles to
keep your back in
correct alignment.
U p
t o e i g h t o u t o f 1 0
A m e r i c a n
a d u l t s w i l l b e
p l a g u e d w i t h b a c k p a i n
a t
s o m e
p o i n t i n t h e i r l i v e s .
These sim ple yet effective m easures can tam p
down the ache of a good back gone bad.
If youV e ever th ro w n o u t y o u r back, you’ll
re m e m b e r th a t yo u ’re fa r less concerned w ith
prevention than w ith m aking th e pain g o away
fast. H ere are som e im m ediate steps to take.
“ If y o u r pain doesn’t respond, o r radiates to
y o u r legs, o r if yo u ’re experiencing num bness
o r weakness, seek im m ediate m edical
attention,” says Dr. Lisa Cannada, associate
professor o f o rth o p e d ic surgery at St. Louis
U niversity and spokesperson fo r th e A m erican
A cadem y o f O rth o p e d ic Surgeons.
@ ALTERNATE MEDICATIONS
S tart w ith
ibuprofen as soon as th e pain hits. If, a fte r 4-6
hours, y o u ’re still hobbled, alternate w ith
acetam inophen. Repeat this cycle as needed.
Ask y o u r pharm acist fo r th e c o rre c t dose o f
each dru g — m o st people can te m porarily
take a slightly higher a m o u n t fo r severe pain.
HIT THE FLOOR
Lie flat o n y o u r back on
th e floor, bend y o u r knees to a 90-degree
angle, and rest y o u r legs on a chair o r coffee
table. This w ill take th e pressure o ff y o u r back
and give you te m p o ra ry relief.
@ TURN UP THE HEAT
H eating pads, h o t
w a te r bottles, and h o t tu b s all increase
b lood flow , w hich results in faster healing To
keep heat on longer, g et a Therm aC are
H eatW rap at any pharm acy o r superm arket.
The w raps adhere to the skin and provide
up to 12 hours o f co ntinuous heat.
@ WALK IT OFF
The old advice was to rest
aching backs. In actuality, one o f th e best
things you can d o is g o fo r a walk, says
Cannada. Make sure it’s a gentle, easy stroll.
N ow isn’t th e tim e fo r p o w e r walks.
l8 6
MARCH
2009
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
