Beat Back Pain with These Six Habits

Back pain is the second most common reason for primary care doctor visits (after upper respiratory infections), and a top reason for missing work. Protecting your back is an ongoing job, explains Najeeb Thomas, MD, neurosurgeon at Southern Brain and Spine in New Orleans. “It’s important to take care of your back before it hurts,” Thomas says. Here, he and Erika Bloom—founder of Erika Bloom Pilates Plus, with locations in New York City; Greenwich, Conn.; and elsewhere—offer six tips to keep your back pain-free.