Back Pain Health Center

Living with back pain can be difficult and uncomfortable, but there are proactive steps you can take to reduce that pain or prevent it altogether.

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to keep your back strong and prevent back pain, especially as you age. Exercises that boost balance and strength can lower your risk of falling and injuring your back or breaking bones. Any weight-bearing exercise that challenges your balance, such as tai chi or yoga, are options you can try.

A healthy diet also plays a key role in back pain treatment and prevention. If you're overweight, a healthy diet can help you lose weight that puts unnecessary and injury-causing stress and strain on your back.

It's also important to have enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet to keep your bones strong and to help prevent osteoporosis. Calcium is found in dairy products like milk and cheese, green leafy vegetables and fortified products like orange juice. The body naturally produces vitamin D through exposure to the sun. But if you don't go outside much, you can get your vitamin D through supplements and/or your diet. Products such as milk and other fortified products contain vitamin D.

Practicing good posture and avoiding heavy lifting are also good ways to prevent injury and back pain.