Low Back Pain: What Can You Do?

11 Ways to Avoid Back Pain

WebMD Medical Reference

Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

If you’ve been sidelined by a sore back, you’re not alone. Four out of five people experience back pain at some point, making it the fifth most common reason for visiting the doctor.

Back pain takes various forms, from a persistent dull ache to sudden sharp pain, and has many causes. Sometimes it results from a sprain, fracture, or other accidental injury. It can stem from a disease or medical condition, such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, or spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal through which the spinal cord runs). Many people develop back pain simply because they’re overweight or sedentary.

The good news is that most lower back pain usually gets better within a few days or weeks, and surgery is rarely necessary. What’s more, simple self-help strategies such as these can be surprisingly effective at preventing back pain and keeping it from returning:

1. Get more exercise. If your back is hurting, you may think the best way to get relief is to limit exercise and to rest. A day or two of rest may help, but more than that may actually increase your pain. Experts now know that physical activity helps ease inflammation and muscle tension by keeping blood and nutrients flowing to the affected area. When you exercise, always start and end with stretches.

2. Watch your weight. Extra pounds, especially in your midsection, can make back pain worse by shifting your center of gravity and putting strain on your lower back. Staying within 10 pounds of your ideal weight will help control back pain.

3. If you smoke, stop. Because nicotine restricts the flow of nutrient-containing blood to spinal discs, smokers are especially vulnerable to back pain.

4. Sleeping position. If you’re prone to back pain, talk with your doctor about the best sleeping position. Sleeping on your side with your knees pulled up slightly toward your chest is sometimes suggested. Prefer to sleep on your back? Put one pillow under your knees and another under your lower back. Sleeping on your stomach can be especially hard on your back. If you can’t sleep any other way, place a pillow under your hips. No matter how you sleep, a firm mattress is probably best. To firm up a soft mattress, you can place a half-inch-thick plywood board underneath.

5. Pay attention to your posture. The best chair for preventing back pain is one with a straight back or low-back support. Keep your knees a bit higher than your hips while seated. Prop your feet on a stool if you need to. If you must stand for a prolonged period, keep your head up and your stomach pulled in. If possible, rest one foot on a stool -- and switch feet every five to 15 minutes.

6. Be careful how you lift. Don’t bend over to lift heavy objects. Bend your knees and squat, pulling in your stomach muscles and holding the object close to your body as you stand up. Don't twist your body while lifting. If you can, push rather than pull heavy objects. Pushing is easier on the back.

7. Avoid high heels. They can shift your center of gravity and strain your lower back. Stick to a one-inch heel. If you have to go higher, bring along a pair of low-heeled shoes and slip into them if you become uncomfortable.

8. Stash the skinny jeans. Clothing so tight that it interferes with bending, sitting, or walking can aggravate back pain by causing poor posture and misalignment of the spine.

9. Lighten your wallet. Sitting on an overstuffed wallet may cause discomfort and back pain. If you’re going to be sitting for a prolonged period -- while driving, for example, take your wallet out of your back pocket.

10. Pick the right handbag or briefcase. Buy a bag or briefcase with a wide, adjustable strap that’s long enough to reach over your head. A messenger bag (like the ones bike messengers wear) is made to wear this way. Having the strap on the opposite shoulder of the bag distributes the weight more evenly and helps keep your shoulders even and your back pain-free. When carrying a heavy bag or case without straps, switch hands frequently to avoid putting all the stress on one side of the body. To lighten the load, periodically purge bags, cases, backpacks, and other carriers of things you don't need.

11. Forget about back braces. Various back supports are available, from elastic bands to special corsets. They can be helpful after certain kinds of surgery, but there is not much evidence that they help treat chronic back pain. By immobilizing and thus weakening back muscles, back braces may actually aggravate back pain.

Mung (mongo) Bean Nutrition

About this Author

Ed Donner is a clinical psychologist and freelance writer. He has performed, presented and published research on a variety of psychological and physical health issues. He has a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Ohio State University, and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Chicago.

Overview

Mung beans, small, cylindrical beans with bright green hulls, have been used in Asia for thousands of years. Known also as mongo, moong, green beans or green soy, mung beans are native to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. They have made their way into the cuisines of Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia. Used whole, or hulled and split so only the yellow inner flesh of the bean remains, mung beans provide easily digested nutrition. Their mild flavor has led to their use in diverse food-partnerships, accompanying vegetables as sides; ground into flour to make into crepes or to be added to breads; incorporated into stir-fries, soups, stews, and curries; and sweetened with sugar and milk to make dessert.

Fiber

Like its many bean cousins, mung beans are filled with fiber. A one cup serving of boiled beans provides 15g of fiber -- over 60 percent of the daily minimum recommended amount. The high fiber content of mung beans makes them useful for diet and weight management. The fiber slows digestion, which helps to stabilize blood sugar and stave off hunger. The fiber also aids digestion as it scrubs its way through your digestive system.

Calories and Fat

Mung beans are low in saturated fat and have no cholesterol. A one cup serving has 212 calories, but only six of these calories are from fat. The high fiber content of mung beans slows the release of the calories into the blood stream. The glycemic rating of 31 for mung beans, according to Carbs-Information, indicates that mung beans have a slow effect on blood sugar, and make a good diebetic food. Mung beans provide about 4g of sugars.

Minerals

Mung beans provide a diversity of minerals. A one-cup serving provides 16 percent of the minimum daily recommended amount of iron, 15 percent of potassium, 11 percent of zinc, 16 percent of zinc, 10 percent of phosphorus, 24 percent of magnesium and 30 percent of manganese.

Vitamins

Mung beans provide a variety of vitamins, including pantothenic acid, vitamin A, vitamin K, niacin and vitamin B-6. A one-cup serving provides 80 percent of the minimum daily recommended amount of folate.

Protein

Though a one cup serving of mung beans provides 14g of protein -- almost three times as much as a glass of milk or an egg-- it does not offer a complete complement of amino acids. It should not be used a sole source of protein. Nonetheless, it is superior to many seeds and most beans in the amount and quality of protein it provides, according to the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station.

Preparation Effects

Limited cooking enhances the nutritional qualities of mung beans, but overcooking can reduce the nutritional benefits. Over-cooking also detracts from the palatability of the beans, rendering them into a mush that only die-hard mung fans can love.

References

• AyurBalance: Mung Beans
• Carbs-Information: Glycemic Index for: Mung Beans
• I Love India: Health Benefits Of Mung Bean
• My Fit: Mung Beans
• Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station: Nutritive Properties of the Mung Bean

mature seeds, raw

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	1,452 kJ (347 kcal)
Carbohydrates	62.62 g
Sugars	6.60 g
Dietary fiber	16.3 g
Fat	1.15 g
Protein	23.86 g
Vitamin C	4.8 mg (8%)
Calcium	132 mg (13%)
Magnesium	189 mg (51%)
Phosphorus	367 mg (52%)
Potassium	1246 mg (27%)
Sodium	15 mg (1%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

boiled mung beans

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	441 kJ (105 kcal)
Carbohydrates	19.15 g
Sugars	2.00 g
Dietary fiber	7.6 g
Fat	0.38 g
Protein	7.02 g
Vitamin C	1.0 mg (2%)
Calcium	27 mg (3%)
Magnesium	0.298 mg (0%)
Phosphorus	99 mg (14%)
Potassium	266 mg (6%)
Sodium	2 mg (0%)
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

The 30–Minute (Workout) Fitness Blitz

Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD on October 06, 2009

Think you don't have time to work out? You do. It's the intensity of your workout that's key. A short–burst, high–intensity workout boosts your metabolism and tones muscles. Get moving with this 30–minute "quickie" routine that includes cardio training and resistance training for each major muscle group.

If you're new to exercise, over 40, have a health problem, or take regular medication, check with your doctor before starting a fitness program.

Beginner Squats: for Thighs

If you're new at this, get started with a beginner version of squats using an exercise ball. Stand against a wall with the ball at your low back, feet hip–width apart and out in front. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor; slowly move back to the starting position. Your knees should remain over your heels. Perform 10 challenging repetitions.

Squats: for Thighs

Once you're ready, try squats without an exercise ball. For good form: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and your back straight. Bend your knees and lower your rear as if you were sitting down, keeping your knees over your ankles. To target more muscle groups in less time, add an overhead press at the same time. With a dumbbell in each hand, rise from the squat position and push weights overhead, palms out. Really focus on good form. Perform 10 repetitions.

Forward Lunge: for Thighs

Standing with feet hip–width apart, take a big step forward with one leg, then lower your body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing to the floor. Return to the starting position, and repeat by stepping forward with the other leg. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side.

Romanian Deadlift: for Hamstrings

To perform a deadlift holding a body bar or free weights, stand up straight with feet hip–width apart. Fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral. Lower the weight to just below your knees, then slowly return to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

The Bridge: for Hamstrings

The bridge works the glutes (butt), hamstrings, and core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, peel your spine off the floor, starting at the tailbone, forming a diagonal line from knees down to shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position. For an extra challenge: Target your triceps by holding light weights, lifting your arms ceilingward as you raise your hips, see right. Bend your elbows to lower the weights towards the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

Push-Ups: for Chest & Core

Let's move to the upper body. Push-ups strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core muscles. Lying face-down, place hands a bit wider than your shoulders. Place toes on the floor, creating a smooth line from shoulders to feet. Keeping core muscles engaged, lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows. Too hard? Place knees on the floor instead of toes. To boost the workout, add an exercise ball under the hips, knees, or feet. Perform 10 repetitions.

Chest Press: for the Chest

Instead of push-ups you can try the chest press with weights. Lie face-up on a bench, with knees bent or feet on the floor, spine relaxed. Press a body bar or free weights from your chest, see left, toward the ceiling. Extend your arms but don’t lock the elbows, and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball. Perform 10 repetitions.

Bent-Over Row: for Back & Biceps

The bent-over row works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps. Begin the exercise in a bent-over position with your back flat, one knee and one hand on the same side of the body braced on a bench. Hold a free weight in the other hand with arm extended, see left. Lift the weight toward the hip until the upper arm is just beyond horizontal, see right. Then slowly lower weight to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Shoulder Press: for Shoulders

A shoulder press works the shoulder muscles and can be performed standing or seated. For extra back support, use a bench with a back rest. Begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders, see left. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears; slowly lower back to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions.

Cable Pull Down: for Upper Back

For the last upper body exercise, do the cable pull down, which works the upper back. Using a cable machine, sitting straight with a neutral spine, grasp the bar with arms extended, see left. Slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up. Perform 10 repetitions.

Bicycle Crunch: for Core & Abdominals

Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out. Then rotate left and pull the left knee in and extend right leg out. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and keep the opposite shoulder off the floor. Perform 10 repetitions.

Side Plank: for Core or Abdominals

For another abdominal alternative, lie on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, and use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank, see above. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

Have You Completed 20 Minutes?

Before moving on to the cardio portion of the workout, be sure you've completed 20 minutes of resistance training. If you have, now's a good time for a water break to keep your muscles well-hydrated. If you haven't, go back and start the circuit over again until you reach the 20 minute goal.

Cardiovascular Training

Vary the intensity during your cardio workout. Use intense intervals, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intense. Whether you're on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do:

• 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate, then 30 seconds of normal speed.
• Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle, then 30 seconds of normal.

Keep moving back and forth between speed and resistance until you've completed 10 minutes.

Frequency of Workout

Perform this 30-minute workout routine every other day, or do it two days in a row if that better suits your schedule. These are not hardcore bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover. For a healthy body, work out regularly and eat a healthy diet.