If you've spent countless hours slaving away behind the stove because you've got a big family to feed, then there may be instances when you suffer from excruciating back pain. You may even experience neck and joint pain while you're strained in the kitchen. If the pain persists, a visit to a professional chiropractor may help. But there are also some steps you can take to reduce back pain while you toil away in the kitchen.

Raise Your Cutting Board Level

Hunched over the cutting board on your kitchen benchtop? This spells trouble for your back from the word go because the bent over posture puts immense strain and pressure on your lower back area. The best thing to do is to raise the level of your cutting board by placing a small bench below it, so that you are standing up straight while preparing food. Alternatively, you can pull up a chair and sit while you use the cutting board to maintain a straight posture and to reduce your distance from the cutting board. The whole idea is to avoid bending as much as possible.

Stand On A Rubber Mat With A Wide Stance To Reduce Pressure On Your Back

Keep in mind that standing on hard floors adds to the pressure on your back, so a rubber mat is an excellent option because it provides greater underfoot comfort and helps to reduce the pressure on your back while you work in the kitchen. A wide stance also reduces strain on your lower back, which gives you some kind of relief from your back pain. Flex your hips every once in a while to reduce the pressure on your lower back.

Use Lightweight Cooking Utensils To Control Heavy Lifting

Moving heavy cooking utensils from the stove to the oven and others parts of your kitchen can be extremely stressful for a person with existing back pain problems –– especially when you have to bend to put a large item for baking in your floor-level oven and then lift it up again to finish it on your stove. If possible, purchase lighter cookware to reduce your heavy lifting burden. Don't discount a small break between food preparation and cooking to help loosen your muscles and reduce your back pain.

If you suffer from back pain while cooking, follow these steps to reduce it and talk to a chiropractor if it doesn't subside.

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