| How to Study Posted: 02 Jun 2016 05:00 PM PDT When you sit down to study, how do you transfer that massive amount of information from the books and notes in front of you to a reliable spot in your mind? You need to develop good study habits. At first, it'll take a good deal of conscious effort to change your studying ways, but after a while, it'll become second nature, and studying will be easier to do. EditPreparing to Study - Manage your time. Make a weekly schedule and devote a certain amount of time per day to studying. This will also improve your grades. That amount will vary depending on whether you're in high school or college, and also varies by field of study. Make sure you stick to your schedule as much as possible but don't be afraid to go off of plan sometimes to study more for the most recent upcoming exam. Make sure this study plan is realistic and not impossible. Don't forget to schedule in everything, from eating, dressing, and commuting, to labs and scheduled classes.[1]
- You need to balance school, work, and extra-curricular activities. If you are really struggling with your classes, you may want to give up the afterschool job or an extra-curricular activity until your grades come up. You need to prioritize your time. Remember: your education is the most important thing.[2]
- For college classes, you should base the hours you study per class on how difficult the class is and how many credit hours the class is worth. For example, if you have a 3 hour physics class that is really hard, you want to study 9 hours a week (3 hrs x 3 for hard difficulty). If you have a literature course that is worth 3 hours and is kinda hard, you may want to study 6 hours a week (3 hrs x 2 for medium difficulty).[3]
- Pace yourself. Find the best speed for you to study and adjust accordingly. Some concepts or classes will come to you more naturally, so you can study those more quickly. Other things may take you twice as long. Take the time you need and study at the pace you feel comfortable.
- If you study more slowly, remember that you will need more time to study.[4]
- Get enough sleep. Make enough time in your schedule to get enough sleep. Get a good night's sleep every night and you'll be making the best of your study time. This is important as you lead up to the test, and especially important right before you take the test. Studies have shown that sleep positively impacts test taking by improving memory and attentiveness. Staying up all night studying may sound like a good idea, but skip the all-night cram session. If you study throughout the weeks, you won't need to cram anyway. Getting a good night's sleep will help you perform better.[5]
- If you end up a little sleep deprived despite your best efforts, take a short nap before studying. Limit your nap to 15-30 minutes. After you wake, do some physical activity (like you would do during a break) right before you start.
- Clear your mind of anything that doesn't have to do with the topic you're studying. If you've got a lot on your mind, take a moment to write yourself some notes about what you're thinking about and how you feel before you start studying. This will help to clear your mind and focus all your thoughts on your work.
- Eliminate electronic distractions. One of the worst distractions for studying is electronic devices. They are hooked up to social media, you receive texts through your phone, and your laptop is hooked to the internet. Silence your cell phone or keep it in your bag so it's not there to distract you if someone calls or texts you. If you can, don't open your laptop or connect it to the internet.
- If you are easily distracted by social networking sites such as YouTube, Facebook, or others, download one of the available applications to instantly block some of the distracting sites on your computer. When you are done with your work, you can unblock access to all the sites as before.[6]
EditSetting Up Your Study Space - Find a good study spot. Gain control of your study space. You should feel comfortable so that studying is more enjoyable. If you hate sitting at a table in the library, then find somewhere much more pleasant, like your sofa or a beanbag chair in your floor. Try studying in comfortable clothes, like a cozy sweatshirt or yoga pants.[7] The place where you study should be free from distractions and relatively quiet.[8]
- Don't choose a place so comfortable that you risk falling asleep. You want to be comfortable, not ready to fall asleep. A bed isn't a very good study spot when you're tired.
- Traffic outside your window and quiet library conversations are fine white noise, but interrupting siblings and music blasting in the next room are not. You may want to go somewhere away from people who may provide distractions.
- Choose background music carefully. Some people prefer silence while they study, others prefer music in the background. Music can be beneficial to your studying by helping you be calm, elevating your mood, and motivating you. If you listen to music, stick to instrumental music, which is music that has no words like classical, movie scores, trance, or baroque.[9]
- If it doesn't distract you, listen to familiar music with words. Turn off anything that distracts you from your studying. You may be able to listen to rock music with words but not pop. Figure out what works for you.
- Make sure to keep the music at a moderate to low volume. Loud music can distract you while quiet music can help you while studying.
- Skip the radio. The commercials and the DJ's voice can bring you out of your study zone.[10]
- Listen to background sounds. Background sounds can help you "get in the zone" and focus on your studies without getting distracted. Natural sounds such as waterfalls, rain, thunder, and jungle sounds can give enough white noise to keep you focused and block out other sounds. There are many places online to find these kinds of sounds, including Youtube.[11]
- Keep the television turned off. Having the television on while you study is generally a bad idea. It can distract you a lot and make you focus on the TV show or movie instead of the book. Plus, voices are extremely distracting because it engages the language center of your brain.[12]
- Snack smart. Eat healthy, nutritional foods while you study instead of foods filled with sugar and fat. Go for energy boosting foods, like fruit, or foods to make you feel full, like vegetables and nuts. If you need something sweet, eat dark chocolate. Drink water to keep you hydrated, and drink tea if you need a caffeine boost.
- Avoid foods with high amounts of sugar and carbs, like instant noodles, chips, and candy. Don't drink energy drinks and sugary sodas; they contain high amounts of sugar which will cause you to crash. If you drink coffee, skip the sugar heavy drinks.[13]
- Have your snacks prepared when you begin a study session so you don't get hungry and go rummaging for food.
EditUsing Effective Study Techniques - Use SQ3R. SQ3R is a study method that involves active reading to help you comprehend and start learning the material. The method gets you to preview the material and actively read so you are more prepared when you read a chapter or article.
- Start with Survey, which means to glance through the chapter to look for tables, figures, headings, and any bolded words.
- Then Question by making each heading into a question.
- Read the chapter while trying to answer the questions you made from the section headings.
- Recite the answers to the questions verbally and any important information you remember from the chapter.
- Review the chapter to make sure you include all the main ideas. Then think about why this is important.[14]
- Use the THIEVES strategy. When you are beginning to study a new chapter, it will make the information it contains much more meaningful and easier to learn if you preview the chapter using THIEVES.
 - Start with the title. What does the title tell you about the selection/article/chapter? What do you already know about the topic? What should you think about while reading? This will help you frame your reading.
- Move to the introduction. What does the introduction tell you about the reading?
- Scan the headings and subheadings. What do these headings and subheadings tell you about what you will be reading? Turn each heading and subheading into a question to help guide your reading.
- Read the first sentence of every paragraph. These are generally topic sentences and help you think about what the paragraphs will be about.
- Look at the visuals and vocabulary. This includes tables, graphs, and charts. More importantly, look at the bolded, italicized, and underlined words, words or paragraphs of a different color, and numerical lists.
- Read the end of chapter questions. What concepts should you know by the time you finish reading the chapter? Keep these questions in mind as you read.
- Look at the chapter summary to get a good idea of what the chapter is about before going on to read the chapter as a whole.
- Highlight important details. Use a highlighter or underline the most important points in the body of the text, so that you can spot them more easily when you review the material.[15] Don't highlight everything - that defeats the purpose. Instead, only highlight the most important phrases and words.[16] It also helps to make notes in pencil in the margin in your own words to summarize or comment on important points.
- You can also read just these portions in order to quickly review the material you have learned while it is still fresh in your memory, and help the main points to sink in.
- If the textbook belongs to the school, then you can use highlighted sticky notes, or a regular sticky note beside the sentence or paragraph. Jot your notes on a sticky note and paste it beside the paragraph.
- It's also a good way to periodically review in this manner to keep the main points of what you have already learned fresh in your mind if you need to remember a large amount of material for a longer period, like for a final examination, for a comprehensive exam in your major, for a graduate oral, or for entry into a profession.
- Summarize or outline the material. One good way to study is to write the material in your notes and in the textbook in your own words. That way you can think about it in your own terms instead of textbook language. Incorporate your summaries into your notes, if there is a connection. You can also make an outline. Organize it by main ideas and only the most important subpoints.[17]
- If you have enough privacy, it also helps to recite your summaries aloud in order to involve more senses. If you are an aural learner, or learn better when verbalizing it, then this method could help you.
- If you're having trouble summarizing the material so that it sticks in your head, try teaching it to someone else. Pretend you're teaching it to someone who doesn't know anything about the topic, or create a wikiHow page about it! For example, How to Memorize the Canadian Territories & Provinces was made as a study guide for an 8th grade student.
- When making summaries, use different colors. The brain remembers information more easily when it is associated with color.
- Make flash cards. This is usually done with index cards. Place a question, term, or idea on one side and have the other side contain the answer. These are convenient because you can carry them around with you and study them when you are waiting for the bus, for class to start, or have a few down moments.[18]
- You can also download computer programs that cut down on space and the cost of index cards. You can also just use a regular piece of paper folded (vertically) in half. Put the questions on the side you can see when the paper is folded; unfold it to see the answers inside. Keep quizzing yourself until you get all the answers right reliably. Remember: "Repetition is the mother of skill."
- You can also turn your notes into flash cards using the Cornell note-taking system, which involves grouping your notes around keywords that you can quiz yourself on later by covering the notes and trying to remember what you wrote based on seeing only the keyword.
- Make associations. The most effective way to retain information is to tie it to existing information that's already lodged in your mind. Using memory techniques can help you remember difficult or large amounts of information.
 - Take advantage of your learning style. Think about what you already learn and remember easily--song lyrics? choreography? pictures? Work that into your study habits. If you're having trouble memorizing a concept, write a catchy jingle about it (or write lyrics to the tune of your favorite song); choreograph a representative dance; draw a comic. The sillier and more outrageous, the better; most people tend to remember silly things more than they remember boring things.
- Use mnemonics (memory aids). Rearrange the information is a sequence that's meaningful to you. For example, if one wants to remember the notes of the treble clef lines in music, remember the mnemonic Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge = E, G, B, D, F. It's much easier to remember a sentence than a series of random letters.[19] You can also build a memory palace or Roman room to memorize lists like the thirteen original colonies in America, in chronological order. If the list is short, link the items together using an image in your mind.
- Organize the information with a mind map. The end result of mapping should be a web-like structure of words and ideas that are somehow related in the writer's mind.
- Use visualization skills. Construct a movie in your mind that illustrates the concept you're trying to remember, and play it several times over. Imagine every little detail. Use your senses--how does it smell? look? feel? sound? taste?
- Break things into smaller parts. One way to study is to break things into smaller sections. This helps you learn the information bit by bit instead of trying to understand everything at once. You can group things by topic, keywords, or any other method that makes sense to you. The key is to lessen how much information you learn at one time so you can focus on learning that material before moving on.[20]
- Make a study sheet. Try to condense the information you will need into one sheet, or two if absolutely necessary. Bring it around with you and look at it whenever you have downtime during the days leading up to the test. Take your notes and the chapters and organize it into related topics and pull out the most important concepts.[21]
- If you type it up onto the computer, you can get a lot more control over your layout by changing font sizes, margin spaces, or bullet lists. This can help if you are a visual learner.
EditStudying More Efficiently - Take breaks. If you are studying for a few hours at a time, take 5-minute breaks every half hour or so. This helps your joints by moving them around after sitting for a long while; it also helps your mind relax, which can help you more effectively remember the material. This also helps keep you from losing focus.
- Do something physically active to get your blood flowing and make you more alert. Do a few jumping jacks, run around your house, play with the dog, do some squats, or whatever it takes. Do just enough to get yourself pumped, but not worn out.
- Try integrating standing into your studying. This may mean walking around the table as you recite the information to yourself or standing against the wall as you read your notes.[22]
- Use a keyword to refocus yourself. Find a keyword related to what you are studying, and whenever you lose concentration, feel distracted, or your mind wanders to something else, start saying that keyword repeatedly in your mind until you come back to the topic at hand. The keyword in this technique is not a single, fixed word but keeps changing according to your study or work. There are no rules to select the keyword and whichever word the person feels that it will bring back his concentration can be used as a keyword.
- For example, when you are reading an article about the guitar, the keyword guitar can be used. While reading, whenever you feel distracted or not able to understand or concentrate, start saying the keyword guitar, guitar, guitar, guitar, guitar until your mind comes back to the article and then you can continue your reading.
- Take good notes in class. When in class, make sure you take the best notes you can. This doesn't mean going for neatness or writing everything in complete sentences. You want to catch all the important information. Sometimes, you may write down a term the teacher says, then go home and copy the definition out of your textbook. Try to write down as much as you can.
- Taking good notes in class will force you to stay alert and pay attention to everything that is going on in the class. It'll also help keep you from falling asleep.
- Use abbreviations. This helps you so that you can quickly jot down words without spelling anything out. Try coming up with your own abbreviation system, or use common ones like b/t for between, bc for because, wo for without, and cd for could.
- Ask questions in class as they pop into your brain, or make a contribution to the class discussion. Another way to question or make a connection is to jot it in the margin of your notes. You can look the question up when you get home, or you can piece together the connection when you are studying that day.[23]
- Rewrite your notes at home. When you take notes, focus on recording the information over understanding or neatness. Rewrite your notes as soon after the class as possible, while the material is fresh in your mind so that you can fill in any gaps completely from memory. The process of rewriting your notes is a more active approach to studying by making you actively engage your mind with the information. You can easily zone out if you're just reading. Writing them makes you think about the information.[24]
- That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to understand or organize your notes at all; just don't waste time doing something in class that you can figure out or neaten up at home. Consider your in-class notes a "rough draft."
- You may find it easier to keep two notebooks--one for your "rough draft" notes, and another for your rewritten notes.
- Some people type their notes, but others find that handwriting enhances their ability to remember the notes.
- The more paraphrasing you do, the better. Same goes for drawing. If you're studying anatomy, for example, "re-draw" the system you're studying from memory.
- Make things interesting. Logical arguments will not give you motivation to study. Thinking, "if I study hard, I will get into a good university and get a good job," will not interest you. Find something interesting in what you study. Try to find the beauty of every subject, and most importantly, try to link it with the events of your life and things that interest you.
- This linking may be conscious, like performing chemical reactions, physical experiments, or manual mathematics calculations in order to prove a formula, or unconscious, like going to the park, looking at the leaves, and thinking, "Hmm, let me review the parts of the leaf we learned in bio class last week."
- Use your creativity to make stuff up. Try making stories to go along with the information you are studying. For example, try to write a story with all subjects starting with S, all objects starting with O, and no verbs containing V. Try creating a connected story with vocabulary words, historical figures, or other keywords.[25]
- Study hard subjects first. Start with the most difficult subjects or concepts at the beginning of your study session. That way you have enough time to study them and you are more energetic and alert. Save the easier stuff for later.[26]
- Learn the most important facts first. Don't just read the material from beginning to end. Stop to memorize each new fact as you come to it. New information is acquired much more easily when you can relate it to material that you already know. Don't spend a lot of time studying things that won't be on the test. Focus all your energy on the important information.
- Study the important vocabulary. Look for vocabulary lists or words in bold in the chapter. Find out if your textbook has a vocabulary section, a glossary, or a list of terms and make sure that you understand these completely. You don't have to memorize them, but whenever there is an important concept in a particular field, there is usually a special term to refer to it. Learn these terms, and be able to use them easily, and you will have gone a long way towards mastering the subject itself.
- Make a study group. Get 3-4 friends or classmates together and have everyone bring over their flash cards. Pass them around and quiz each other. If anyone is unclear on a concept, take turns explaining them to each other. Better yet, turn your study session into a game like Trivial Pursuit.
- Divide concepts among the members and have each member teach or explain the concept to the rest of the group.
- Divide lectures among the group and have each group summarize the key concepts. They can present it to the group or create an outline or 1-page summary for the rest of the group.[27]
- Develop a weekly study group. Spend each week covering a new topic. That way you study throughout the semester instead of just at the end.
- Make sure they are people who are actually interested in studying.
EditSample Study Schedules - Rather than just memorizing what you've learned, you should also make sure you understand it enough that you can explain it to a person who knows nothing of the subject.
- Studying with a partner who is as serious about the subject as you can be a good motivator to work harder. Organize the study session into parts, review notes, outline the chapter, and discuss concepts. (Try to teach it to each other so that you are sure you both get it.)
- Don't procrastinate- start studying early to avoid stress. Get used to not procrastinating. This is a bad habit. You'll be happy that you studied immediately instead of procrastinating in the end.
- Most textbooks have a chapter review at the end of each chapter. You should take advantages of them and it's a good way of quizzing yourself and some teachers use those exact questions on a test.
- Make sure you understand the concept you're studying about. Otherwise, it may be more difficult to understand what you are studying.
- When taking notes at school, make them neat and colorful, so that when you get home to study them it is a little bit more fun.
- Organise your space and have anything you need by your side so you won't have to get up or waste your time to search for it.
- Watch out for inclinations to procrastinate. For example, are you reading this article instead of studying? All your efforts will not lead to success, and if you procrastinate, you'll end up blaming your tools.
- If you cannot study because you are just too tense, or something is worrying you, it may be necessary to gain control of your emotions before you are able to successfully study on a regular basis. If you are not able to do this on your own, you may need to consult a school counselor.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Alleviate Back Pain Naturally Posted: 02 Jun 2016 01:00 AM PDT Back pain is one of the most common reasons for sick days at work, school, and for seeing a doctor.[1] This common pain can be caused by many things, like muscle strain, a bulging disc, arthritis, spinal irregularities, or osteoporosis.[2] In many cases, it is possible to reduce back pain naturally without surgery or medication. EditUsing Natural Pain Relief - Visit a chiropractor. A chiropractor is a specialist who treats neuromusculoskeletal conditions, primarily those that impact the back, neck and joints.[3] A chiropractor will assess your condition and then will help align your spine naturally through a series of adjustments. This is usually painless and needs little or no medication.[4] You may need to visit a chiropractor's office once or twice a week for 2-4 weeks.
- Chiropractors hold a doctorate degree, completing a year graduate program, and must hold a license wherever they practice. Individuals are 28 times less likely to need surgery if they get treatment from a chiropractor rather than a surgeon.[5]
- Try acupuncture. Extremely thin needles are placed on specific points along the body that are thought to either open or control energy currents. Acupuncture has been used to treat pain, nausea, fibromyalgia and other conditions.[6] It's been shown to be an effective treatment for chronic lower back pain.[7][8]
- Acupuncture carries few risks, primarily soreness at the needle site. Licensed acupuncturists use sterile, single use needles, so the risk of infection is low.[9] If you have a bleeding disorder, take a blood thinner, or have a pacemaker, make sure you let the acupuncturist know.[10]
- Get a professional massage. Don't try to give yourself a massage. You may do further injury. Instead, find a trained and licensed massage therapist. During massage therapy, the therapist will use various degrees of pressure on areas of muscle pain and spasm. This pressure from fingers, hands, knuckles, or elbow will signal your muscles to relax.
- Studies have shown that massage therapy can reduce low back pain and increase the range of motion and flexibility.[11] It also gives pain relief[12][13], by increasing circulation, relaxing muscles, and increasing levels of natural pain relievers.[14]
- Try physical therapy. This can reduce your low back pain, while increasing your mobility. In this process, trained professional physical therapists manipulate your back, give you specific exercises to strengthen your back, and give you tips to prevent back pain as well as specific training in how to prevent back pain.[15]
- Physical therapy works without medication or surgery.
- Use herbs. Many herbs have anti-inflammatory properties. Use the following herbs in cooking, as a tea, or as a supplement. If you supplement, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Try these herbs:
- Willow bark
- Basil
- Calendula
- Cardamon
- Cinnamon
- Turmeric: 400-600mg three times a day
- Cloves
- Ginger: 500-600mg twice a day
- Make a pain-relief poultice. Slowly mix 10 tablespoons of bentonite clay with 20 tablespoons of room-temperature distilled water. Stir in 2 drops of essential oils or 1 teaspoon of anti-inflammatory herbs. The mixture will be the consistency of mud. Spread the mixture on a clean cotton cloth or towel so the mixture is ¼" thick.
- Make sure to leave room around the edges of the cotton cloth to make it easier to apply.
- Apply the poultice. Try applying the poultice cold or at room temperature to see which works best for you. Cover the poultice with a towel to keep it in place. Keep the poultice on for 30 minutes at a time, checking to make sure that the clay hasn't dried. Remove the poultice before the clay dries to avoid drying out your skin. You can repeat the process and re-apply the poultice for a total of two hours.
- Before you try any of these on your sore back, test a small area of skin. Wait ten minutes and wash off the poultice. Check for a rash or any irritation. If there is no irritation, apply the poultice. If there is some irritation, try another herb.
EditStretching Your Back - Wear comfortable clothes. When you're ready to stretch your back, make sure you're wearing comfortable clothes that you can move easily in. This will enable you to stretch more readily and focus on the stretch. Talk to your doctor or therapist before exercising to relieve pain.
- Stretching can prepare your back for a daily warm up or a specific activity. Stretching the muscles can actually help relieve tension that might be causing back pain.
- Stretch the upper back. Relax the back muscles. Muscles can go into spasm resulting in back pain. You can help to prevent this by relaxing and then gently stretching your back. Repeat them up to three times a day.[16] Try some of these stretches to target your upper back:[17]
- Sit or stand tall. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as tightly as possible. Hold for 5-10 seconds and release.
- Sit or stand tall. Place your hands behind your neck and gently arch your back backwards while looking up to the ceiling.
- Sit tall in a chair. Cross your arms over your chest and twist your torso to one side and then to the other slowly and gently.
- Stretch the lower back. Lie on your back and bring your knees up to your chest. Bend your head towards your knees. Hold this position for at least ten seconds, and then release. Repeat as necessary until the tension begins to subside. You can even try rocking from side to side, or from neck to buttocks. Remember to be gentle. Try these other stretches for additional relief:[18]
- Child's pose: Kneel and then sit back on your heels. Lower your upper body to the floor with your arms stretched straight out in front of you. Stretch the lower back.[19]
- Two-knee twist: Lie flat on your back. Bring both knees up to your chest and then drop them both down to one side of your body. Stretch your arms straight out from your body. Release and repeat on the other side.
- Stretch the sides of your back. Lie on your back with your arms stretched out to your sides. Bend one knee and slowly roll onto the side opposite the bent knee. Roll as far as you can while keeping both shoulders flat on the ground. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds then switch sides. Repeat this stretch, alternating sides 10 times on each side.[20]
- Stretch your neck. Sit or stand tall with good posture. Bend your head forward to feel a stretch in the back of your neck. Then begin to rotate your head around in a circle, first bringing your chin to your chest, your left ear to your left shoulder and rotating your head around to bring your right ear to your right shoulder. Repeat.[21]
EditTreating Back Pain Using Standard Methods - Use a hot or cold pack. These can ease the pain and inflammation, although studies are needed to show this.[22] Acute pain usually does better with cold packs, while chronic pain often does better with hot packs.
- To use a cold pack, wrap the ice pack in a towel and set it on your sore back for 10-15 minutes at a time. Repeat this 4-5 times a day. To use a heat pack, place a heating pad on your back and keep it on low for 20-30 minutes at a time.
- Get short-term bed rest. This means you should rest for as short a time as possible and carefully get moving as quickly as you can. Prolonged bed rest can actually make back-pain worse and can lead to an increased risk of blood clots, depression and decreased muscle tone.[23]
- Use pain medications. Most of the time, over-the-counter medications are enough to relieve back pain. You might take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like ibuprofen. In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe opioids. These drugs should be used only for a short period of time and only under a physician's supervision.
- Avoid using NSAIDS over the long term, since they can cause stomach and GI upset, ulcers, heartburn (acid reflux), diarrhea, fluid retention, and in rare cases, kidney dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Check for interactions with other medications before taking NSAIDS.[24][25]
- Consider having surgery. Surgery can be used as a "treatment of last resort" for severe pain. These surgeries are not always successful, can involve a long recover time, and may run the risk of permanent disability.[26][27] But, several minimally invasive surgeries can correct physical problems of the spine.
- Talk with your doctor about what options are available to you.
EditUnderstanding Back Pain - Learn the symptoms. The pain can be a dull, constant ache or can be a sudden, sharp and piercing pain. Back pain can be chronic (defined as lasting longer than 12 weeks), acute (lasting a few days to a few weeks) or sub-acute, lasting between 4-12 weeks. Most back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that the muscles, vertebrae, facet joints in your spine, nerves and discs are not working as a unit anymore.[28][29][30]
- Understand the risk factors. Both men and women are at equal risk for back pain, but certain risk factors may increase your chances of experiencing back pain. These include:[31]
- Age: back pain is more likely as you get older.
- Level of physical fitness: intense bursts of physical activity could damage your back.
- Weight: being overweight increases the risk of back pain.
- Pregnancy: the weight of the growing baby and changes in pelvic structure put pregnant women at risk for back pain.
- Family history: some disorders (like ankylosing spondylitis) have a genetic basis.
- Occupation: jobs that require heavy lifting or heavy manual labor put you at higher risk.
- Desk jobs: sitting in the same position without moving much can cause back pain.
- Pre-existing mental health issues: depression, stress, and anxiety can worsen back pain.
- Children's backpacks: when overloaded or unevenly loaded, backpacks can injure a child's back.
- Know when to see a doctor. Most of the time, you can take care of a sore back with rest, a little home care, and some time. Make sure that you seek treatment if you are depressed. Chronic back pain is often accompanied by depression and depression can make back pain worse.[32][33] You should see a physician immediately if you have back pain and any of the following symptoms:[34]
- changes in bladder or bowel habits
- fever
- pain or throbbing in the abdomen
- recently experienced a fall or other injury
- intense, severe, and constant back pain (especially at night or when you lie down)
- back pain that spreads down your legs and below the knees
- numbness, weakness or tingling in your legs
- unexplained weight loss
- swelling or redness on your back
- You are over 50 and this is the first time you have experienced significant back pain
- You have a history of cancer, osteoporosis, or drug/alcohol abuse
- Learn how back pain is diagnosed. In general, a diagnosis will be based on your symptoms, history and a medical exam. You may also get some imaging done, like X-rays, MRIs, CTs or an ultrasound. Other tests may be more invasive. Some use a contrast dye that is injected into the spinal canal to see structural problems like herniated disc, fractures or spondylolisthesis.
- There are no blood tests needed to diagnose back pain.
EditProtecting Your Back - Practice smart lifting. Avoid lifting and bending as much as possible. If you do have to lift something heavy, test how heavy the load is first by trying to move it. If it seems too heavy, get some help, like a dolly, forklift, straps, handles, or another person's help before you try to lift it.[35]
- Back belts are not really proven to prevent back injuries, so don't rely on a one to protect yourself.[36]
- Do stretches before lifting. The easiest stretch is to pretend you are reaching for something just a bit out of reach. Alternate, reaching with one hand and then the other. Do this ten times (five on each side). Then, slowly bend forward and bend backward, five times each.[37]
- Make sure to stretch your hamstring muscles well; these are the muscles at the back of your thigh.[38] Lie down on your back and lift one leg up, supporting the knee with your hands or by looping a towel around the back of the knee. Pull back gently until you feel a good stretch. Hold for 10- 30 seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
- Lift with your knees. Set your feet about shoulder-width apart. Squat down close next to the object and grab it with a secure grip. Keep your back as straight as you can and slowly lift up using the muscles of your legs, abdomen, and buttocks. Make sure to keep the object between your shoulder and your body.[39] Don't twist at your waist.
- This way, you are not using your back as a lever. Instead, you're using it like a crane, with your legs doing most of the work. When you do lift something, lift by bending your knees and not by levering the weight with your back.
- Keep in shape. Exercise regularly and make sure to strengthen your core and abdominal muscles. Crunches are a great way to keep your abdominal muscles in shape. Whatever exercise you choose to do, pace yourself. Be sure to take lots of small breaks between lifts and exercises.
- Protect your back while you work. Keep your posture correct.[40] Sit up straight and avoid hunching forward with your shoulders drooping. Use an ergonomic chair while you work. This will support your body's overall posture. If you spend most of your day sitting, get up and walk every so often.
- Use a lumbar pillow which helps maintain the natural curve in your back as you sit in a chair. It helps keep your spine in proper alignment. If you spend a lot of time in your car, it's a good idea to use a lumbar pillow while you drive.[41]
- Sleep on your side. This reduces strain on your back. Try out different mattresses for at least 10-15 minutes until you find one that supports your back and spine all along its natural curve.[42] Some people prefer firm mattresses or adjustable beds.[43] You might even try sleeping on your stomach to get back pain relief.
- Place a pillow in between your knees if you're resting on your side. This keeps the pressure off your back and can help keep the hips supported.[44]
- Use the strength of your legs to lift heavy objects by bending your legs as you lift. This will transfer the strain away from your back. Move slowly and smoothly, as hurried, jerky movements increase the risk of injury.[45]
- Stay hydrated. This can decrease your risk of back injury and pain.[46][47]
- Find a licensed and certified acupuncturist at The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's website (http://www.nccaom.org/). Visits for back pain are usually weekly, but they may be twice a week at first. This depends on the severity and cause of the back pain.
- Don't rely solely on a back-belt to protect your back when lifting heavy objects, as there is little scientific evidence to show that back-belts actually prevent injury.[48], [49]
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