Everyday Solutions are created by Everyday Health on behalf of our partners. More InformationEveryday SolutionsBack Pain Management Guide What's Behind Your Back Pain?Most people experience back pain at some point in their lives. Most of the time, back pain symptoms aren't due to a serious health issue such as arthritis or a fracture. In fact, the culprit could be as innocent as your mattress or your favorite pair of shoes. While you should see your doctor if you experience back pain after an injury or if your back pain is severe or lasts more than a few days, these everyday habits could also be contributing to your back pain symptoms. A Poor DietThe most important thing you can do for back pain is to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese “is probably the number one risk factor for back problems,” says Medhat Mikhael, MD, a pain management specialist and medical director of the non-operative program at the Orange Coast Memorial Center for Spine Health in Fountain Valley, California.
A diet that’s high in fat and overloaded with calories will lead to weight gain, which can lead to back pain as well as painful joints. Lack of ExerciseBeing sedentary can lead to weight gain and back pain symptoms. On the other hand, exercise gives you the muscle tone needed to support your back and keep it pain-free. Aim to do cardiovascular and strength exercises two or three times a week — especially those that strengthen the abdominal and back muscles, which are a critical factor in diminishing lower back pain, says William Watters III, MD, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the spine at Houston Methodist Specialty Physician Group. Don’t forget yoga and stretching, which can also be helpful. Slumped ShouldersPoor posture can also cause back pain. Your ears should be over your shoulders, your shoulders over your hip joints, and your hips over your ankles. Leaning your head forward or slumping your shoulders while at the computer or looking at your phone contribute to muscle spasms and can put pressure on your nerves, Dr. Mikhael says.
Make a conscious effort to maintain good posture during the day to ease or help prevent back pain. Your Office ChairBack pain can develop any time you stay in one position for an extended period of time, whether it’s sitting in an office chair or a driver's seat, or standing in one place. Pain can set in even when you sit down for a three-hour movie or go to sleep for several hours. Mobility is key to maintaining strength and a balanced posture, says Jeremy Smith, MD, a spine surgeon and back pain specialist with the Orthopaedic Specialty Institute in Orange, California. “We’re meant to stand and walk,” he explains. To relieve or avoid back pain, get up from the computer at least every 45 minutes to an hour to take a short walk. Worn-Out ShoesIt's not news that stilettos are not the best shoes for your back. But even a sensible pair of shoes can change your gait and lead to back pain if the soles are worn, so be sure to replace old shoes or swap out your old inserts for new ones, Dr. Smith says.
Shoes without proper arch support can affect your gait, and that can create problems and pain in your back and even your neck. An Old MattressA mattress should give you uniform support, meaning there shouldn’t be air between your body and the mattress when you lie down. Most people do better with a semi-firm or firm mattress, perhaps with a soft pillow top that cradles the shape of the body, Mikhael says. “Memory foam seems to be a good mattress for back pain because it’s firm and takes the shape of the body all night,” he says. If you’re sinking in when you lie down, it’s probably time to get a new mattress to help keep back pain away. An Unsupportive BraIf you have large breasts, you’re carrying more weight on the front of your body, which can throw off the curve of your spine and lead to upper back problems. Wearing a bra that provides proper support can help keep the weight closer to your body and help you maintain your posture, Smith says. You should be able to draw a straight line from the top of your head down to your heels, and a supportive bra will help.
Over-the-Shoulder BagsAny time you have to balance the weight of a shoulder bag like a purse or a backpack, or even a heavy wallet in a back pocket (which can put pressure on your sciatic nerve and cause pain), it can change the curve of your spine and lead to back pain. A bag on your shoulder also puts strain on your neck. Mikhael says he looks at what his patients are carrying when they come into the office and often tells them that part of the cause of their back pain is the bag they’re carrying. Before you grab your wallet or purse the next time you leave the house, ask yourself if you really need to haul it around. At the very least, clean out your purse and wallet and leave most of your cards in a drawer at home so you have less to carry and won’t aggravate back pain symptoms. Smoking CigarettesThere are many reasons to quit smoking, but here's one more: Cigarettes hurt more than just your heart and lungs. In fact, smoking deprives cells all over your body of oxygen, which can weaken muscles and ultimately lead to back pain, Mikhael says.
Researchers have found that people who smoke have triple their chance of developing back pain, according to a study published in 2014 in Human Brain Mapping. Stress and DepressionPain is an emotion as well as a physical feeling, according to the American Psychological Association. Back and neck pain, along with muscle tension and headaches, are all warning signs of stress. One study published in 2016 in General Hospital Psychiatry looked at data from more than 190,000 people and found that depression was significantly associated with back pain. Managing stress with exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep, meditating, and talking with friends and family can help you relieve both stress and back pain. Last Updated: 12/21/16 10 Ways to Ease Back Pain 5 Proven Ways to Stop Low Back Pain These Sleep Positions May Help Your Back The Best and Worst Shoes for Back PainDespite their starring role in countless bedroom trysts, mattresses are not exactly sexy—and certainly not the stuff of tech fortune fantasies.
At least until now.The five founders of Casper, a Manhattan-based mattress start-up, want to bring New Yorkers a high-end product at a competitive price, while using Uber and bike messengers to get it to your fifth-floor walk-up when you need it. I test drove a mattress all weekend—more on that below—in anticipation of the official sales debut today.The Casper memory-foam/latex mattress arrives compressed into a box with handlesUnlike many mattress manufacturers, the company makes only one model: a mix of memory foam and synthetic latex, so it contours to your body while circulating air and staying bouncy. (“The other biggest complaint about memory foam,” aside from its tendency to trap heat, explains co-founder Luke Sherwin, “is it’s bad for sex” because of that lack of bounce.)The mattress is available in six sizes—twin, twin XL, full, queen, king and California king—ranging from $500 to $950.That's more than what you might pay at IKEA. But the makers of Casper are pitching the young professional that’s willing to invest in something higher end but not ready to blow thousands of dollars on a Tempurpedic at Sleepy’s.
The founders' backgrounds include designing mattresses for famed design firm IDEO, selling mattresses on the Internet in the early days of SEO, and starting an online retailer while still at Brown. To date, the team has raised $1.85 million in funding, the company says.Casper keeps costs down by controlling every step of the process and keeping manufacturing in the U.S.Casper says it can compete on quality with the best of them, and offer reduced prices by eliminating commissioned salespeople, traditional retail showrooms, long-term storage costs and overseas assembly.They're also doing something a bit different with delivery. Like other foam mattresses, the Casper is compressed. But the dimensions of the box, regardless of whether you get a twin or a king, fit in the trunk of a New York City taxi or the backseat of a car. Casper uses Uber or, depending on where you live, bike messengers to get you the product. That means the company can deliver within 90 minutes of ordering and in a one-hour delivery window.
(They also have units set aside in their office for pick-up or delivery within 30 minutes.)The Casper beta tester package comes with a slicer tool to cut through the plastic packaging and a Maurice Sendak book as a thank you for being a guinea pigSo how was the mattress? The first thing to keep in mind is that, even though the company claims the box is the size of a golf bag, the queen-sized version I got weighed 60 pounds, and it was difficult to move solo. Second, once you get the mattress out, it won’t go back in, so if you move, your Casper will be just like any other mattress.Though it was a bit of a struggle to get the thing out of the box, once I got all the wrapping off, it opened just as co-founder Neil Parikh suggested: “like one of those dinosaur toys you put into water.” The package also comes with a slicer tool to make unwrapping easy.The Casper is out of the box but still folded upMost importantly, sleeping on the bed was lovely. The mattress had a spring to it but also felt dense enough to be supportive.
I also noticed—and perhaps this was the power of Casper’s marketing materials—that the surface was cooler than my regular spring mattress. It didn’t feel like I had extra body heat trapped between the sheets and me.I slept soundly, woke up refreshed, and didn’t feel any soreness or stiffness—which is even better considering that it usually takes 14 days to acclimate to a new bed.The Casper all set up on the bedframe; this one is a queenFor now, Casper has no plans to sell the model in stores, but they’re hoping to let people stay overnight in their office, which is actually an apartment on Bond Street, to test it out. They also want to let interested customers do test drives via Airbnb by putting a Casper mattress in an available rental in the shopper's hometown and letting them pay for a night's stay. (They've done this a few times for investors already, though Casper picked up the bill.) And lastly, customers can return the mattress within 40 days; the company donates returns to local charities.