Back pain can stop a writer in their tracks. Sitting down for long periods of time while typing away oftentimes puts a strain on your lower and upper back. Writers likely won’t experience back pain when composing a short 300-word article. However, for professional writers that type 1000’s of words each day, it can feel like an Olympic sport. For writers to last in their careers and not burn out (mentally and physically), maintaining proper health is vital to longevity within the industry.
Here are 3 innovative ways that writers can deal with back pain and maintain their health.
Practice Good Posture
Your posture is important, especially when your back is hurting. Poor posture can make a bad back feel worse. Pay attention to your posture during long stretches of typing and writing. You may notice that over time, you begin to slouch. While seeming minor at first, poor posture can lead to chronic back pain. If you are in the writing industry for the long haul, you’ll want to do everything you can to maintain good posture and avoid back injuries.
Here are a few tips that writers can implement to help improve posture and reduce back pain.
Ergonomic Chair
Invest in an ergonomic chair for your house if you work long hours at your home office. If you work at your company’s office, consider requesting one from your manager or boss. These chairs offer extra cushioning and proper support. This will make a world of difference if you are currently using a lower-quality chair. Consider your chair as your arena of the ‘writing game’ that you play each day. Investing in the proper gear can help you execute and perform at a high-level while feeling good physically.
Computer Monitor
If you are using a smaller laptop for your writing, there’s a chance your neck is constantly looking downward. In the short term, this is typically fine. However, practicing this over time can lead to posture issues, neck pain, and back pain.
Writers can avoid back pain by investing in a computer monitor that can connect to their laptop. Ideally, look for a monitor that can extend several inches high. For those who have a short desk, this can help raise the screen closer to your eye level. The less you are forced to look downward, the better your back will typically feel. Another setup commonly used by people writers who work from home is dual monitors. This allows you to look at multiple screens for your work. The goal is to help you look down less throughout the day.
Creative Core Exercises
Our core is the bridge between our torso and legs. A strong core helps improve balance, coordination, and back stability. Without core strength, more weight and pressure are placed on our lower back to support our upper bodies. Of course, you should limit core exercises when currently experiencing back pain. However, when you are feeling up to it, consider strengthening your body through different creative core exercises.
‘The plank’ is an easy one to start with that you can perform from the comfort of your own home. This exercise strengthens your abdominal muscles and back. To do this, hold your arms in an L-shape and support yourself on your forearms, with your back straight out, holding up your legs by your toes. All you need to do for the exercise is to hold yourself in this position for as long as you can. Start light, aiming for a 1-minute hold, and do this exercise 2 to 3 times per week.
With enough practice, you’ll be able to hold this position for larger periods of time, as it will quickly strengthen your back. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology shows the benefits of exercise for your body. This study involved 30,000 men and women suffering from chronic lower back pain. They were monitored for a period of 11 years. The findings concluded that those who exercised moderately had a significant reduction in episodes of lower back pain. By strengthening your back, it will be more resistant to the daily wear and tear of life.
White Flower Oil
A common direction to go when attempting to treat back pain is to take medication. While that can potentially provide relief, some people prefer a natural way to deal with pain versus taking a prescription. White Flower Oil is a natural cooling oil that is used to treat body aches and pains. There is a mix of camphor, eucalyptus, lavender, menthol, peppermint, and wintergreen oils that make up this oil.
When rubbed into your back, it produces a cooling sensation that quickly relieves your back pain, all without the need for medication. Primarily, White Flower Oil decreased inflammation. This helps loosen up areas of tension within the body. It can also help you recover from injuries sooner. White Flower Oil is a perfect alternative to traditional medication that can help you experience pain relief in your back.
Natural Back Pain Treatment
Today we’ve shared with you 4 innovative ways to deal with back pain. Forming a habit of good posture is a great place to start. From there, strengthening your core with different abdominal exercises will help you keep your back and torso strong. If minor aches and pains still occur, you can apply White Flower Oil offers to areas of stress. This will provide pain relief and help you get back to writing.
