| Lower back pain affects many musicians. Whether | | | | make them vulnerable to strains. |
| you're playing a bass, cello, violin, or guitar, you may | | | | 6) Inactivity. Musicians spend a lot of time on the |
| get back pain. | | | | road. They also have a lot of down-time. Lower |
| There are many reasons why musicians may feel | | | | backs get weak and out of balance from too much |
| pain in their lower back muscles. Travel and lifestyle | | | | sitting. Lack of movement leads to excess weight, |
| habits can contribute to that pain. Let's look at the | | | | and too much down-time might encourage smoking. |
| top habits that contribute to pain in lower back | | | | 7) Compromised Sleep. Travel, varying work |
| muscles for musicians. | | | | schedules, switching time zones, and sleeping in |
| 1) Excess weight. If you are wearing too much | | | | different beds all lead to poor-quality sleep. Fatigue |
| weight around your belly, then this will put a strain on | | | | and sleep deprivation contribute to muscle pain |
| your lower back. You cannot reduce fat just around | | | | symptoms. Until the body gets in a regular sleep |
| your waistline: you must focus on healthier eating and | | | | pattern, pain may intensify. |
| overall weight loss. Then the spare tire will deflate, as | | | | 8) Lack of Planning. It is hard to plan healthy routines |
| the rest of your body also trims down. | | | | when your work and home location changes daily. |
| 2) Lack of exercise. If you are a musician who | | | | Staying healthy requires plans and commitment. |
| travels, it can be very difficult to exercise. But your | | | | 9) Accommodations. Performing musicians stay in a |
| lower back muscles need cardio exercise for the | | | | variety of beds. They use different pillows. They |
| oxygen and blood flow. They need strength-training | | | | spend the night in vans and buses, and on airplanes. |
| to stay strong. And they need stretching to stay | | | | At night, they stay on couches, cots, inflatable |
| loose and healthy. | | | | mattresses, child-sized beds, and floors. |
| 3) Poor nutrition. Our backs need nutritious eating to | | | | 10) Co-factors. Most musicians' habits do not just |
| stay healthy. Our muscles especially need minerals. | | | | include one of these mentioned in this list. They may |
| When we travel, or eat out, or we're offered treats | | | | be vulnerable to all of these. When these lifestyle and |
| and junky snacks, we do not get enough nutritious | | | | travel habits are combined, their affect on back |
| foods like vegetables and other mineral-rich foods. | | | | muscles is multiplied. It may be impossible to separate |
| 4) Smoking. Depriving our muscles of oxygen and | | | | the influences and determine which has the greatest |
| reducing circulation kills healthy tissues. | | | | affect on the lower back muscles. |
| 5) Transporting equipment. Moving heavy equipment | | | | While many of these factors may be inevitable, |
| and instruments can be precarious for our low backs. | | | | devising a pro-active plan for health will affect your |
| Musicians lift equipment from awkward positions that | | | | back positively and prevent lower-back pain. |