The holidays may be the most wonderful time of the year, but they can also be surprisingly hard on your back. Between hauling decorations out of storage, carrying packages, putting up a tree, traveling, cooking, wrapping gifts, and spending more time than usual on your feet, your normal routine can change quickly.
All of that lifting, reaching, bending, and twisting can leave your back and neck feeling the effects.
Fortunately, a little planning can help you protect your spine while still enjoying the season. Here are six simple ways to help prevent holiday back pain.
Already dealing with back or neck pain? Request an appointment with Southern Orthopaedic Surgeons or call (334) 613-9000 for an evaluation.
1. Ask for Help With Holiday Decorating
Holiday decorating often involves exactly the kinds of movements that can aggravate your back: lifting heavy boxes, reaching overhead, twisting, climbing, and working in awkward positions. Do not try to tackle everything yourself. Ask someone to help with heavier decorations, Christmas trees, and boxes coming down from storage. When hanging lights or decorations overhead, use a sturdy step stool or appropriately sized ladder on a stable surface rather than stretching beyond a comfortable reach. Reposition the ladder as you work instead of leaning or twisting to reach farther. Your back will appreciate the help, and decorating is usually more fun with company anyway.
2. Use Proper Lifting Technique
From storage bins and Christmas trees to packages and luggage, the holidays provide plenty of opportunities to lift something heavier than expected.
Keep these basics in mind:
- Get close to the object before lifting it.
- Bend at your hips and knees rather than bending primarily through your back.
- Use your legs to help power the lift.
- Keep the object close to your body.
- Avoid twisting your torso while carrying something heavy.
- Turn your entire body and move your feet when changing direction.
- Ask for help when an object is too heavy or awkward to move safely.
If you have to choose between protecting your pride and protecting your back, get someone to help with the box.
3. Pace Yourself and Take Breaks
You do not have to finish the decorating, shopping, cooking, and wrapping in one day. Repetitive activities can fatigue the muscles that support your back, particularly when you spend long periods bending over a table, standing in the kitchen, carrying bags, or hanging decorations. Break larger holiday projects into smaller tasks and change positions periodically. If you have been wrapping presents on the floor for an hour, your back may be ready for a different activity. Taking a few minutes to walk, stretch, or simply change positions can give tired muscles a break.
4. Pay Attention to Stress and Muscle Tension
Holiday stress does not just affect your mood. Stress can contribute to muscle tension, which may make existing neck or back discomfort feel worse. Try to leave yourself enough time to complete tasks without rushing. Stay organized, prioritize what actually needs to be done, and give yourself permission to take a break. Regular movement, adequate sleep, and maintaining your normal exercise routine when possible can also help you manage the physical demands of a busy season.
5. Keep Moving During the Holidays
Busy schedules, travel, and holiday gatherings can make it easy to abandon your usual exercise routine. You do not necessarily need an intense workout to stay active. Walking, gentle movement, and maintaining your normal fitness routine when possible can help keep your muscles moving and prevent long periods of inactivity. If you are traveling, change positions periodically and take opportunities to stand and walk. If you are spending hours cooking or wrapping gifts, alternate positions and take movement breaks. And if an activity causes significant back pain, do not try to push through it.
6. Make Time to Rest and Recover
There is nothing wrong with slowing down. If your back starts feeling tired or sore, listen to your body. Give yourself time to recover rather than immediately moving on to the next physically demanding task. Rest does not have to mean spending the entire day in bed. It can simply mean alternating more demanding activities with periods of lighter activity and giving your body time to recover. The decorations do not have to be perfect, and everything on your holiday to-do list does not have to happen at once.
What Should You Do If You Hurt Your Back During the Holidays?
Even with precautions, back injuries can happen. A minor strain may improve with conservative measures, such as modifying your activity and staying gently mobile as tolerated.
Pay attention to how your symptoms progress. Consider seeing a physician if your back or neck pain:
- Is severe or continues to worsen
- Does not improve with conservative care
- Significantly limits your normal activities
- Travels into an arm or leg
- Is accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness
- Develops after a significant fall or other injury
Seek prompt medical attention for back pain accompanied by new bowel or bladder problems, numbness around the groin or saddle area, significant or progressive weakness, or other concerning symptoms.
Back & Spine Care at Southern Orthopaedic Surgeons
If back or neck pain is keeping you from enjoying the season, Southern Orthopaedic Surgeons provides specialized Back & Spine care for patients throughout Central Alabama.
Milo Sanda, DO, provides evaluation and treatment for a range of back and spine conditions at SOS. Treatment is based on the individual diagnosis and may include nonsurgical options or surgical treatment when appropriate.
Whether your symptoms started while lifting a box of decorations, traveling, exercising, or simply going about your normal routine, determining the source of persistent pain is an important first step toward getting back to the activities you enjoy.
Don't Let Back Pain Take Over Your Holidays
The holidays are busy enough without adding back pain to your list. Use good lifting technique, ask for help, pace yourself, keep moving, and give your body time to recover.
If back or neck pain is not improving, Southern Orthopaedic Surgeons provides Back & Spine care for patients in Montgomery, Prattville, Wetumpka, and communities throughout Central Alabama.
Call (334) 613-9000 or request an appointment online to schedule an evaluation.
