Why Me? Pain in the lower back is almost always caused by some sort of injury/accident. Just about everybody experiences some kind of back pain over their lifetime, but most of the time it occurs between the ages of 30 and 55. There are several key things you can do to speed up the recovery from your lower back pain including swimming, walking and stretch exercises. They all build muscle which is an essential factor that is necessary to extinguish the whole lower back problem. The way you sleep, sit, stand all affect how your back feels. No matter how you came to arrive with your back problems, hereditary issues, poor posture, trauma, or whatever the case may be the simple fact remains, the lower back pain can interfere with a persons whole life. PREVENTION Standing upright is a HUGE factor weighing on how your lower back feels. You should always be standing up straight with your chest poked out forward. Keeping your shoulders straight while keeping your head up is also a very important thing to remember. It is just as important to tuck your hips into the center of your body, and always remember to distribute your body weight evenly on your feet. You need to always change positions while standing for an extended period of time. One thing that has yet to fail me is to rest one foot on a chair or stool for a little while, this helps your back by making it work a lot less harder.. Sittting for a long time is terrible for your lower back, but many Americans become subject to these conditions due to there occupation. I recommend taking mini breaks as much as possible. Whenever you get the opportunity to get up and away from your desk or chair take it. Get up and stretch your back, giving your back these important stretches is a crucial part of the prevention process and they're even more important if you are already having back problems. Sometimes getting up isn't an option and if that's the case you must always maintain good posture, arching your back out and positioning your knees and your hips at right angles; this helps you with your posture. If you can't touch the floor rest your foot up on something, this will also relief your back. You should always sit in a chair that is sturdy and firm with places to rest your arms and set your head. When you practice good posture you may not need to use other techniques like back exercises. Sleeping is a direct reason why 80% of Americans experience back pain and problems. It's a serious variable that weights on how your back is going to feel the next day. First you want to have a sturdy, firm mattress that doesn't sag in middle. One thing that you don't want to do is sleep on your stomach on a soft mattress, that will just simply not support the curve in your spine. What you should always do, especially if you have back problems, is sleep on your back with something to support your lower back, your knees, and also your head. This will take the most stress possible off your back. CURE Back pain is a terrible thing to live with and no one should have to go through the pain or recovery process but often it is inevitable. When it calls for a massage therapist, they can work a little magic on your back. If you have chronic back pain the massage practitioner needs to focus directly on the problem area and the causes of the pain and distress. Most of the time the muscles that are causing you to experience the pain are not located in the same place where you feel the pain. Surprisingly your abdomen, your stomach that is, is the most common and primary cause of Americans back issues. There is a huge spectrum of prescriptions that you can take for pain relief, but that is exactly it - all they do is relieve the pain and when they wear off the pain comes right back. In addition to that the medication is very addictive and you can acquire a high tolerance very quickly. Stretching your back is always a great way to relieve yourself of pain. You must be gentle and soft with it, but stretching your back is most often the easiest way to prevent and reverse your back from becoming tense. Reflexology is a very affective method used to cure pain and improve circulation. It's an ancient technique, an alternate form of medicine, but works wonderfully. It involves massage therapy applied to the feet, and it works absolute magic in relieving pain, especially back pain. Plus the improved circulation helps ease your tensed back muscles - its a win win situation. Prevention I can not express enough how important it is to stand, sleep, and sit properly. These can make or break your back. Chris Hagen writes on many issues including back pain for more great info please go here http://wilraybackpain.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Hagen