Today is World Spine Day and BackJoy is celebrating by helping you get to the source of that nagging ache 8/10 of us will experience at one point or another—back pain. While many back pain sufferers have serious back-health issues (like scoliosis or herniated discs), there are those of us that may experience back pain because we sit for 8+ hours a day hunched over a computer, we sleep on our stomachs, or we lift heavy objects with our backs instead of our knees. The reasons for back pain are countless. We all know how restrictive pain can be on letting us enjoy the things we love to do, so this month, we’re challenging you to choose one small action to help you live an enjoyable, pain free life. Small actions lead to big results, especially when it comes to lessening pain. See below for tips on how to start relieving your back pain immediately. 1) Understand the cause of your back pain, don’t just treat the condition. TIPS: Back pain is difficult to diagnose and treat. There are a variety of causes of back pain, and a wide range of possible back pain treatments that may or may not work for the same condition. Before you start taking painkillers or agree to surgery, it’s important to determine what is causing your pain so you can assess the proper treatment. If you find that your back pain persists after a couple of weeks, don’t hesitate to call your doctor so he can help with a treatment plan. 2) Keep a pain journal.  TIPS: Pain management experts recommend keeping a pain journal to help doctors figure out the source of your pain and figure out how to help you manage that pain. Make a habit of writing in your journal a few times a day and describe the type of pain you are having on a scale 1-10. Talk about activities that might have spurred pain, the time of day you experienced pain and use descriptive words like tingling, burning or aching. 3) Use natural alternatives when it comes to treating/preventing back pain (no meds!) TIPS: While drugs like ibuprofen and acetaminophen can reduce inflammation, they don’t always get to the root of the problem and may sometimes only mask the symptoms. A number of alternative approaches will help you alleviate discomfort, address the root cause of your pain and promote health. Our recommendations?—Back supports, chiropractic care, yoga, massage or back exercises. Also keep good posture top of mind. 4) Avoid skinny jeans for the month (or too tight of clothes) TIPS: Choose pants that fit more loosely and ride higher. When pants are too tight or low riding, this can cause damage to the nerves extending from the thigh to the spinal column. Some symptoms may include tingling, numbness, pain and hypersensitivity in the upper legs as well as stress on the back. 5) Do a spine-strengthening stretch.  TIPS: Stretching your spine will help increase mobility and decrease back pain. To start, try pulling your knees to the chest while lying on your back with your head flexed forward. You should feel the stretch in your low back. Hold the stretch for 20-30 seconds (this time-frame allows the muscles around the spine to loosen) and then repeat 3 times. 6) Eat anti-inflammatory foods (nuts, seeds, fish). TIPS: The foods we eat can either help or contribute to pain and inflammation in the body. Take a tour of your pantry and remove all foods containing high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), artificial sweeteners, and other ingredients that you can’t pronounce. Replace those foods with dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, chard, kale, nuts like walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, and seeds like pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. 7) Try to avoid carrying a purse, super heavy backpack or child in one arm.  TIPS: Lugging a backpack or purse around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain. Choose a bag that is proportionate to the size of your body and that has individualized compartments to help you position the contents most effectively. Place the strap diagonally across the opposite shoulder to distribute weight evenly across your back. Alternate the bag to the other shoulder often. 8) Be aware of your sitting posture/don’t cross your legs! TIPS: Keep your head and shoulders back, and tilt your hips upright with an “S” curve in your spine. Maintain good ergonomic principles: find a good chair, use a proper pelvic support and keep your knees bent at 90 degrees. Always make sure to take your wallet out of your back pocket before you sit down, as sitting on your wallet can cause sciatic pain. 9) Don’t sleep on your stomach!  TIPS: For side sleep, place a pillow between your knees and for back sleep, place a pillow under your knees. Finding a pillow that preserves the curve in your neck will help reduce neck and back pain. Also find a mattress with good support. Experts recommend a soft-top mattress with firm coils underneath.   10) Move more! TIPS: Walk, swim bike or do some other aerobic activity to help control your weight. Extra belly fat will exhaust your muscles and add pressure on the tissue around your vertebrae. That pressure can throw off the natural curve of your lower back, causing low-back pain. Add in strength-building moves to keep your core strong (a strong core helps support your spine).

The new, health-conscious direction in office products, architecture, and design is creating what’s known as the “active office”. The idea is to encourage more movement and engagement during the workday with a focus on employee health and wellness. With obesity at unprecedented levels, and numerous studies showing that a sedentary lifestyle leads to a myriad of health problems, the shift toward the active office is more than a trend; it’s a permanent change in how we view our relationship to our work environment. It’s great that architects and interior designers are creating innovative solutions, but a grand, expensive office redesign is not necessary to create an office that emphasizes health and well being. Any company, regardless of its size or budget, can create an active office by simply implementing a few easy principles that encourage movement and engagement. Stand up desks. Sitting disease is Enemy Number One when it comes to work-related health issues. By standing more often, you may be able to fight weight gain, lower back pain, poor posture, fatigue, and even diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer! Ergonomic office chairs/accessories. Whether sitting or standing, it’s important to maintain proper balance and correct posture for natural pain relief. Ergonomic chairs, keyboards, and other accessories make every position healthier. Centralized work stations. Locate printers, scanners, message boards, and other office supplies in central areas within the office. This will encourage people to get away from their desk and walk in order to use certain equipment or perform regular tasks. Non-traditional collaborative spaces. Get creative with a few areas where teams can meet and collaborate. It can be a sport court or other game area, a room full of yoga mats or exercise balls – anything that doesn’t involve sitting in a chair or at a desk or table, which can aggravate low back pain. Outdoor work and activities. Take advantage of the freedom that mobile devices and abundant wifi offer and take outdoor breaks to work on a park bench or sitting on the grass. Also, walking meetings are great for team-building, brain-storming, and getting some vitamin D! Plus, it’s a great way to prevent chronic back pain. Planned activities. Whether it’s a daily walk at lunch time, an after-hours yoga session, participation in a local 5k, or even an early-morning meditation meeting, it’s a chance to focus on health and wellness that is open to anyone who wants to participate. Healthy break room. Replace chips and cookies with fruit, veggies, low-sugar granola bars, instant oatmeal, organic yogurt, almonds, and other healthy choices.

Is one of your new year's resolutions to take control of your health this year? How is that going for you? Now that we’re approaching the month of February, the month where most people fall off the resolution train, we want to encourage you to stick to it. Below are ways that you can easily take control of your overall health and we hope that they inspire you to stick to your resolutions this year!   Listen to your body Are you hearing what your body is telling you? Often times we’re too busy wrapped up in what's going on outside of our bodies, for instance, our outer appearance or extra pounds on our waistline, that we forget to listen for the internal signals our body is sending. How do we know we’re hungry? Our body tells us to eat something by making our stomachs produce a loud and embarrassing growl. Or how does our body know when it's uncomfortable causing us to adjust positions? That nice piercing pain that goes up and down our back, yup, that's our body letting us know that we should probably do something to help improve our posture.    Create an exercise routine Being healthier is probably one of the most popular resolutions people have going into the new year, however, most give up before the first month is through. People that go to the gym on a regular basis say that the gym won't be busy come February, but what if you maintain your goals and prove them wrong?! Creating a routine for yourself and sticking to it for longer than a month is the only way you will continue to follow through with this resolution. Once you have a routine in place for a period of time, your body starts to adjust and it’s something you will need to do from here on out. Incorporating an exercise routine into your life is crucial to maintaining a “healthier you.” Exercise not only makes your body feel good and look good it helps prevent major health issues such as diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, while also aiding in decreasing stress and depression. Buy yourself a planner/calendar and start by planning out your day-to-day. Once you do this for a month or, so you will most likely be in a routine that you won’t want to break. If your schedule only allows you to get a workout in after work, consider bringing clothes with you so you can stop at the gym on your way home. If you don't have time to fit in a workout, there are simple exercises that you can do right at your desk during the work day to prevent stiffness, lower back pain, and fatigue. Check out the video below for easy stretches that can relieve back pain. Staying limber and moving throughout the day will reenergize you and help strengthen your core.     Sexual Health Your overall health isn’t just about eating right and sticking to a fitness routine, it’s also about maintaining your sexual health, which plays a huge role in both mental and physical health. Understanding your body and sexuality can be a game changer. Couples who have been together for a long period of time may experience having little to no desire to engage in sexual activity. You might think you just aren’t in the mood or your significant other isn’t attracted to you. However, most don’t realize that they could just have a low sex drive. Potential causes of that could be psychological issues such as stress and depression or physical issues like too little or too much exercise. If this is something you’re experiencing, consult with your doctor and discuss your options for treating a low libido. Stay Hydrated Our entire body relies on water to survive. Everything from our heart to our skin functions better with the proper water intake. Water carries nutrients that help flush out bacteria, boosts skin health, helps maintain healthy blood pressure, and cushions the brain. Out of all the things that you can do to take control of your overall health staying hydrated is the simplest step. On average people should drink anywhere from six to eight, eight-ounce glasses of water a day. If you’re someone who struggles with drinking water, try adding a lemon slice to it. Another great way to make sure you’re consuming a reasonable amount of water is by purchasing a fun water bottle that labels the ounces and refilling it throughout the day.   Eat Healthy Creating a well-balanced diet containing all the nutrients your body needs is key to a healthy life. Take control of your eating habits and start choosing healthier options such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult for many people as it takes a lot of self-control in order to stick with it. Overtime, you will start to notice your taste buds changing. Those chips you once craved will now turn into a craving for vegetables or fruit.   Sleep We’ve all heard that the average adult needs between seven and eight hours of sleep per night.  Anything less will put us at a greater risk for developing health issues. Someone could “sleep” for the proper amount of time, but they may not necessarily be getting a good night’s sleep. If you’re someone that is stressed due to your job, money, family, or relationship issues, chances are you aren’t getting enough sleep. An increase of stress equals a decrease in sleep. Try incorporating relaxation exercises into your nightly routine. These techniques will help you take control of your body and help your brain rest. This will allow for you to fall asleep and maintain a good night sleep through the night.  Your health is important, and we want to see you continue to take control of your health this year!