There are many different causes for back pain, and according to WebMD, almost 80 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. It may be because you sit too much at work, you have poor posture, or it could be triggered by a strenuous activity. But one thing we can all agree on is that having back pain can be debilitating, which is why we’ve created a list of tips to help reduce back pain.

It’s important to keep active

I know, this sounds completely unrealistic because you’re in pain, but according to reports, simple exercises like walking can actually help. That said, don’t try to overdo it with anything too strenuous.

Limit your bed rest

This point really goes hand-in-hand with the aforementioned one, because an orthopedic surgeon told WebMD that he tells his patients not to have more than three days bed rest and try to become active again as soon as possible. When you are resting though, it could be helpful to try lying on your side with a pillow between your legs to keep the spine in a neutral position.

Exercise your core

This is more a preventative measure because the muscles in your abdomen play an important role in supporting your spine. When we strengthen these muscles, it can reduce strain on the back.

Focus on your posture

Good posture can prevent back pain, and according to Mayo Clinic, the advice your mother gave you as a child to stand up straight and stop slouching is good advice. Your back reportedly has three natural curves (cervical curve, thoracic curve, and a lumbar curve), and in order to maintain these curves, you need good posture. To find out more about how to achieve good standing and sitting posture, you can read about it here.

Hot and cold therapy

For pain relief, you should start with ice to initially reduce the swelling and then switch to heat therapy, such as heating pads. It is, however, important to discuss this with a medical professional first, and ensure that you are not interfering with your injury or irritating the skin surrounding it.

Another remedy to help with lower back pain is yoga.

There are several poses designed to not only offer pain relief but also provide preventative care. These poses include the Supine Twist, which is essentially a twist to the spine, the Cat and Cow pose, which is a movement that stretches your spine and your hips, Downward Facing Dog, which strengthens the core but also elongates the cervical spine, and the Sphinx Pose, which tones the lumbar region—you can find out more about these poses and how to do them on websites like DoYouYoga and Yoga Journal.

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