Eating healthy is important and, at Greenvita, we do our best to let you eat that way when you are outside your home. But, as you know, not everything is eating healthy to be healthy. Exercising and taking care of our physical condition is extremely important. Skiing, hiking in the mountains, playing with our children … is essential to maintain our physical and emotional health. But, as we get older, it is more difficult to maintain this active lifestyle, especially due to a problem that the majority of people suffer from: back pain, especially low back pain.

But what is low back pain? Well, it is localized pain in the lower back that, according to some studies, more than 80% of the population suffers. That is why, it is convenient to know better the problem and possible remedies to prevent it (and cure it) effectively.

What are the causes of low back pain? Well, the main ones are, without doubt, lack of exercise, excess body weight and lifting weight incorrectly, even though there are other reasons that we would never imagine, such as tobacco consumption (due to the fact that that reduces blood flow in the lower spine and thus prevents the lumbar discs from receiving enough nutrients).

But, in this blog, we not only intend to provide prevention ideas for those who still have not low back pain, but these will also be valid for those who have already suffered it at some time or who even suffer it currently.

One of the most frequently asked questions in these cases is: when I have back pain, do I have to apply heat or cold? The truth is that both are necessary for a correct correction of low back pain. During the first hours it is advisable to apply cold to the affected area (either through an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a cloth). In the following 2 or three days and, until the discomfort goes away, it is advisable to apply heat (an electric mat or a hot water bottle can be used).

Another very frequent question is: do we have to rest in case of low back pain? Lying on bed facing the ceiling, with the knees bent over the chest helps a lot although, as different studies show, being in bed too much can slow down the recovery process. At the end, with low back pain, every person must find in which position they feel better.

Massages can be a good help to reduce pain, especially if the muscles are contracted and there is a lot of tension. In the same way, the consumption of drugs has to be prescribed by a doctor, we should never self-medicate.

For those who suffer or have suffered from back pain, we provide you with some tricks to prevent it from recurring.

Tension due to stress is one of the main causes of pain, therefore, when you notice that the lumbar area is stiff, it is advisable to sit in a chair and bend the trunk until our chess rest on the legs, a position that you have to maintain seconds. Also stretching releases tension and helps us avoid pain!

Studies from the ‘American College of Physicians’ affirm that physical therapy, rehabilitation exercises, acupuncture and therapies to reduce stress such as yoga, tai chi or meditation, are some of the best practices to prevent and cure low back pain. You know, keep moving and put yourself in the hands of professionals!

And, finally, to close our January blog, we want to reassure you a bit by indicating that, in the vast majority of cases, low back pain only lasts 3 or 4 days, and is usually caused by excessive effort or poor posture. If it is prolonged or appears frequently, we would have to go to the doctor to find out if everything is fine in our spine.

This is all for now Greenviters! As always, we encourage you to lead a healthy lifestyle… And, remember our motto: ‘eat well, live well’.