Maintaining a Healthy Back Published July 9, 2009 By Maj. Jan Allen 92nd Medical Operations Squadron FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. -- If you woke up today with back pain, you are not alone. The National Institute of Health estimates that 85 percent of all people have had back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is currently the second leading reason for missed work and accounts for more than $50 billion annually in medical costs and lost production. The good news is that most back pain is preventable. It has been shown that basic knowledge of the spine, good posture, good lifting technique, and back strength and flexibility significantly decrease the likelihood of chronic or recurrent back pain. To maintain a healthy back you must first understand how the spine works. There are three natural curves in your neck and back that form the spinal column. With the spine properly aligned, your ears, shoulders, and hips are in a straight line when viewed from the side. The spine is formed by vertebrae and disks, and is held together by muscles and ligaments. Vertebrae are movable bones that give your spine shape. The disks are the "shock absorbers" and "spacers" between the vertebrae. They cushion and connect your vertebra, absorbing "shock" as you move. Ligaments are the strong, cable-like tissues that connect your vertebrae. Muscles both support and move the spine, and when the spine is injured they tighten to protect it. The most important tool in maintaining a healthy back is good posture. To maintain the curves of your spine you need strong, flexible muscles. The simple act of correcting your posture throughout the day helps develop the body awareness to maintain good posture for a lifetime. Slouching often feels good initially, but over time it damages the spine. It flattens your low back curve increasing disk pressure and risk for a disk herniation. It also results in tight, painful upper back and neck muscles as the body attempts to realign the spine. Weak abdominal muscles do the opposite, allowing your belly to protrude and increasing the low back curve. The resulting stress to the joints and ligaments eventually causes arthritis and spinal instability, and the forward position of the shoulders increases the risk of disk damage in the neck. Body mechanics are the techniques we use in maintaining posture while doing activities. You should sit with your feet flat on the floor and your buttocks against the back of your chair. If standing to work, try to raise or lower your work surface so your shoulders and neck stay relaxed, and if possible, put one foot on a raised surface. When bending and lifting, keep your shoulders back while squatting in-front-of the object. Hug the object close to your body, tighten your abdominals and lift with your legs. Avoid lifting heavy objects over your head. Instead of twisting while lifting, hold the object at waist level and pivot with your feet. Sometimes the work environment, load or task makes it impossible to do the perfect lift. The important point is to try to maintain proper spinal alignment and get help if you need it. The final component of preventing back pain is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Extra weight adds strain to your back. Smoking decreases the blood supply to the ligaments and disks making them slow to heal and prone injury. Strengthening the upper back, abdominals and quadriceps provide the force needed during lifting. Stretching the neck, chest, low back and hamstrings maintains spinal flexibility. Although creating a healthy back is hard work, it's worth the effort. To make sure that you're ready to meet the challenge practice good posture throughout the day, maintain your ideal weight, stop smoking and participate in regular exercise.