5 tips to take care of your back

1. When gardening hurts

Leaning over a flowerbed, you want to get up… and you get stuck. What is it? A disk cracked between two vertebrae: this is the infamous “lumbago”. The pain is only aggravated by defensive muscle contractions. What helps? Hot water bottle and painkillers! After 48 hours, try to resume daily activities very slowly. Jérôme Auger advises practicing the following exercise ten times a day: lying on your back, legs bent, bring your knees towards your chest with your hands.

2. After a good workout

During a workout we put a lot of strain on our bodies and sometimes, that pain will just not go away. What is it? An accumulation of small lesions ended up damaging the back, and often favored osteoarthritis. What helps? Your first course of action should be to consult a doctor to check that it is not a herniated disc, which is when two vertebrae crush the disc located between them. Cortisone injections can help relieve the area. Very importantly, do not stop physical activity, but choose a gentle sport or exercises recommended by a physiotherapist.

3. The weight of worries

Morale is no longer there and the back pain has crept in little by little… What is it? A problem, which should have remained punctual, became chronic due to stress and depression. There is no more lesion but the pain remains. What helps? First, we check with the doctor that there is really no more physical damage. Then we tackle depression. And we re-musculate his back. Jérôme Auger recommends a simple exercise: on all fours, hips and knees at a right angle, alternate round back/hollow back, without moving your shoulders or knees. The movement should not be painful. Repeat twenty times a day.

4. Prevent bad posture

After years spent in front of a desk, your body is finally protesting. What is it? Poor postures create muscle and joint stresses. Lesions and contractures appear gradually. Sometimes the pain becomes chronic. What helps? Take breaks during the day and, if possible, change seats (a large ball instead of the chair). In the evening, take a hot bath to relax the muscles. Jérôme Auger suggests repeating this exercise ten times: sit on a chair. Inhale, tuck your chin in and pull your head up to grow taller and stretch your spine.

5. Over the years, the back wears out

You are quite athletic and fit, but from time to time you still have back pain. What is it? As we age, the joints lose flexibility and the spine absorbs shocks less well. Osteoarthritis accelerates this phenomenon. What helps? Consult a doctor to be sure of the diagnosis. A lumbar belt and painkillers can help relieve episodic pain. We recommend regular and reasonable physical activity, while regularly consulting your physiotherapist for personalized advice.