Does a glass of milk really do a body good? When it comes to the conversation about calcium, absolutely. While your body naturally produces the mineral calcium, it doesn’t produce enough on its own and therefore requires you to intake dietary calcium to make up the difference.

What exactly does calcium do?

Calcium plays an important role in many critical body functions including:

• Reinforcing structure and density of bones and teeth
• Helping nerve cells communicate and send signals back to the brain
• Aiding muscle contraction
• Supporting the flow of blood through the body’s blood vessels
• Stimulating release of vital hormones and enzymes

When you are not intaking enough calcium, your body actually starts to pull it out of your bones resulting in loss of bone density, also known as osteoporosis. Overtime, serious calcium deficiency can result in increased risk for bone fractures, convulsions, abnormal heart rhythms, and numbness or tingling in the fingers.

A 2014 analysis  of U.S. Census and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data found that over 50% of the U.S. adult population over 50 years of age had osteoporosis and low bone mass. Postmenopausal women especially experience greater bone loss and less calcium absorption due to biochemical changes in their bodies, like a reduced production of estrogen, which is believed to help the body more readily absorb calcium.

What does this mean for older adults? Low bone mass increases risk for bone fracture, diminishes overall strength, and increases risk for experiencing a fall. Ultimately, potential for mobility issues, which require aids like wheelchairs, quad canes, or walkers, grows as older adults experience bone loss and crippling injuries like hip fractures.

It’s not just older adults who aren’t getting enough calcium either, but evidence suggests that on average, many kids and younger adults don’t intake the daily recommended amount of calcium.

What are the recommendations for calcium intake?

The Office of Dietary Supplements under the National Institutes of Health shares a helpful breakdown of recommended daily values of calcium in milligrams by age:

• Children 4 to 8 years of age should intake 1,000mg of calcium a day
• Children 9 to 18 years of age should intake 1,300mg of calcium a day
• Adults 19 – 50 (and men 51 to 70 years of age) should intake 1,000mg a day
• Adult women 51 to 70 years of age should intake 1,200mg a day
• And all adults over 71 should intake 1,200 mg a day

For special cases like infants to 3 year olds, smaller doses of 200 to 260mg of calcium a day are recommended. And for pregnant and breastfeeding women, 1,000 to 1,300mg of calcium a day is recommended depending on age.

How much calcium are you consuming a day?

Dairy foods, like milk, yogurt, and cheese are a common go-to source for calcium, while additional non-dairy foods like kale, broccoli, collard greens and fish with soft bones, like sardines and salmon, provide appreciable amounts of calcium too.

You may notice in the grocery store how some foods are “fortified” with calcium as well, like orange juice, cereals, breads, even tofu. It’s important to look at nutritional labels when prioritizing your calcium consumption.

Many adults take calcium supplements which are comprised of calcium carbonate or citrate. Their effectiveness can vary depending on how much you consume at a time, your level of stomach acid, and whether you eat food with the supplement. Recent research has indicated possible adverse effects from taking calcium supplements however.

The Journal of the American Heart Association reported in October 2016 that taking calcium in the form of supplements may increase the risk of plaque buildup on artery walls, potentially harming the heart and vascular system. A growing body of research reinforces the association of taking calcium supplements and developing cardiovascular disease, however, further studies are needed to substantiate the exact links of why and how this is happening.

The bottom line is that incorporating more calcium into your diet is an absolute must. And don’t forget your Vitamin D! Vitamin D increase calcium absorption and ensures young people reach peak strength and bone density by the time they are 30. Exercise and resistance training at any age stimulates the body to produce calcium and build up bone density too, so stay active!

Back pain can be uncomfortable, annoying, and downright debilitating at times, and yet, it seems to be an everyday part of life. That simply doesn’t have to be the case. Avoiding these 5 things could help you successfully prevent back pain for good:

Inactivity

Rest, taking it easy, putting your feet up, binging Netflix . . . all of these ideas seem obvious for taking it easy on your back, especially if you have stiff or sore muscles, right? Wrong. Back pain is only exacerbated by inactivity because it diminishes blood flow to key tissues – blood flow which aids healing and carries vital nutrients to muscles, bones, tendons,
and ligaments.

Inactivity also shortens muscle length and makes muscles and joints stiffer and less limber, so when you do finally get around to exercising, stretching, or taking part in some physical activity, they’re more likely to strain and feel sore later. The American College of Physicians actually lists exercise and physical activity as a remedy for lower back pain in their updated 2017 clinical guidelines

Bad Posture

In addition to inactivity, working on a computer all day also promotes bad posture, which can lead to back pain. Slumping, slouching, rounding the shoulders, craning the neck, and hunching the back – all these body positions place added stress on internal joints and the spine, making
muscles strain and work harder to stabilize your body.

Forward Head Syndrome, or the condition where your neck and head lean forward past your shoulders, is typically applied to people who spend hours and hours each day staring down at a computer screen or other mobile device. Studies have shown that for every inch your head cranes past your shoulders, you’re applying 10 extra pounds of force down on your body from the pull of gravity. This pull tugs directly on your neck and back muscles, leading to inflammation and chronic pain down the line.

Awkward Movements

No, we’re not talking embarrassing dance moves, but awkward movements which twist and turn your body in ways it really shouldn’t. A good example of this is trying to pick up an item you dropped behind your bedroom dresser. You stoop and swivel your shoulder, crane your neck and extend your arm farther than it should really stretch, grasping for a tiny object you can’t even see. You feel a yank, pop, or pull and all of a sudden your neck and back muscles are crying for help.

Awkward body movements and positions like this can lead to muscle spasming, inflammation, pinched nerves, and lasting achiness. Humans are so inclined to think the easiest route for something is over-extending themselves, when truly taking the time to use proper form or finding an assist with a tool or handy device could save much pain and trouble down the line.

Bad Lifting Technique

Lifting heavy loads with improper form and technique is the ultimate recipe for back pain, especially lower back pain. Millions of people see their doctor each year for complaints about some type of back pain, but those who work in physical labor jobs like airport baggage handlers, movers, warehouse workers, and even nurses who are required to lift and move patients, have it the hardest. Wearing a lower back brace can help provide compression, support, and stabilization for someone doing heavy lifting each day, but nothing beats proper form and technique.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) shares proper
lifting techniques and guidelines for workplace lifting including using machines, tools, and
devices when possible to add leverage or to do the lifting for you. They also recommend companies implement good lifting environments like having workers lift from their ‘power zone’ (mid-thigh to mid-chest) area and not straight off of the ground.

Skipping Warm-ups & Stretching

Going from 0 to 60 might be fun in a fast-moving sports car, but when it comes to working out, launching into a full-on session without warming up can take its toll. Dynamic warm-ups are active movements that help your muscles warm up by boosting your heart rate, increasing blood circulation, and stretching and loosening stiff joints and connective tissues. A dynamic warm-up before a game, weight lifting circuit, or workout may include plyometric jump squats, a brisk walk, burpees, or jumping jacks.

Stretching after a workout or training session also plays an important role in preventing sore back muscles. Your muscles are most pliable after you complete physical activity. Engaging in static stretching helps re-lengthen muscles, boost blood flow to flush out toxins and lactic acid, and reorganize jumbled muscle fibers to aid with healing and tissue repair.

Preventing back pain is possible and has a lot to do with what you avoid doing as much as what you choose to do. Avoiding inactivity, bad posture, heavy lifting, and more will play a significant role in keeping you active and pain-free.

You sprain your ankle or pull your back – what’s the most common
recommendation you’ll get from a friend or family remember? “Put some ice
on it,” right? You might be curious how ice therapy works exactly and if it
is really beneficial for treating acute injuries.

Part of the ‘RICE’ treatment – rest, ice, compression, and elevation – ice
therapy might include applying an ice pack or other cold compress,
receiving ice massage, or soaking an injured body part in an ice bath.

There are best practices when it comes to applying ice packs to avoid ice burn and further injury, but when administered correctly, ice can be a powerful tool to relieve acute pain and swelling.

How Does Ice Reduce Pain?

The cold sensation of an ice pack applied to the skin for 10 to 20 minutes actually has a somewhat analgesic effect. It slows the conductivity of sensitive nerve impulses around the injured area which are sending pain signals back to the brain, essentially providing a numbing effect and preventing nerve-spasming.

How Does Ice Reduce Swelling?

Ice therapy generates a cold shock to the area of application which makes the veins in the tissue constrict, reducing blood circulation and therefore inflammation of the injured area. This can also prevent tissue damage.

After the ice is removed, blood flows back in carrying oxygen and nutrients vital to tissue repair and wound healing.

How Should Ice Be Applied?

A handful of misconceptions about ice therapy may actually cause more harm than benefit when it comes to aiding a painful injury. Ice and ice packs should never be applied directly to skin, but rather some sort of barrier like clothing, a towel, or a soft cover over the ice pack should be used in conjunction with the cold therapy.

Ice packs should not be left on an injured area for more than 10 to 20 minutes at a time, and should be reapplied up to three times a day. Only after swelling has subsided 48 to 72 hours later should heat therapy be considered.

Ice massage may also be a cold therapy alternative that soothes sore back muscles and provides pain relief typically to the lumbar spine region. Ice massage involves taking an extra large ice cube and moving it around the lower back area in a circular motion for no more than 5 minutes at a time.

Because ice massage involves constantly moving the ice and only doing it
for a limited amount of minutes, you avoid ice burn even though you are
applying the ice directly to the skin. Your body can handle ice massage up
to five times a day.

Ice baths, or cold water immersion, are popular with athletes and runners after an exhausting performance because they cover more surface area of the body with cold thus restricting blood vessels, inflammation, and reducing metabolic activity on a greater number of muscle groups. When you exit an ice bath, the underlying tissues begin to warm up and blood flow back to the area increases quickly, flushing out metabolic debris and speeding up tissue repair. Experts recommend ice bathing in water between 50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit and soaking for no more than 10 or 20 minutes at a time.

What Are Common Types of Ice Packs?

Most drug stores and big box stores carry ‘reusable’ ice packs which can be frozen, used, and refrozen. Typically comprised of a synthetic gel material in a flexible or hard plastic casing, reusable ice packs are inexpensive and effective. Alternately, one-time use, or disposable, ice packs may be room temperature to start and become cold through a chemical reaction of the compounds inside them when shaken or broken. Great for having on hand when playing sports, disposable ice packs are convenient, but considerably more expensive and not as eco-friendly.

Experiencing a leg injury and don’t have a reusable ice pack for knee or ankle pain handy? There are plenty of common household items you can use for ice therapy to treat a painful injury like an ankle sprain. Grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of the freezer, freeze a wet towel or sponge, or even fill a resealable baggy with dish detergent and freeze it to make your
own faux gel pack.

Ice therapy can be a beneficial instrument in the injury and post-athletic play toolkit. By following expert best practices and committing to routine treatment with ice packs, ice massage, or cold baths, speeding up your body’s healing capabilities may be just an ice cube away.