Walking upright on two feet has advantages, but it also puts intense pressure on the spine, as well as on other muscles and bones.

Add to this improper sitting, lifting, or reaching — and the normal wear and tear of working and playing — and you have the perfect recipe for back pain. That’s why back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections. In fact, some experts say, as many as 80 percent of us will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.

Back injuries are a part of everyday life. They can cause a sharp pain or a dull ache and can be accompanied by a tingling, numbness, or burning sensation. You may also feel weakness, pain, or tingling in your pelvis and upper leg — a condition known as sciatica.

The spine is quite good at dealing with back injuries. Minor injuries usually heal within a day or two. Some pain, however, continues. What makes it last longer is not entirely understood, but researchers suspect that stress, mood changes, and the fear of further injury may prevent patients from being active, and may actually exacerbate the pain.

There are many treatment options for back pain including medication, physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture. However, we all know the best medicine is prevention. If we can identify destructive habits early then we can prevent many of the physical complaints that could develop.

Every morning we hit the floor on a dead run, lifting kids, briefcases, or heavy purses when our bodies are not ready to accept these lifting requirements. So why don’t we stretch before the day begins? It usually boils down to time management and getting that extra 10 minutes of sleep.

The only solution is adequate planning of your day, that allows you the extra time in the morning to perform a stretching or warm-up routine before your day begins. For those in an office setting, you need to counteract the repetitive stresses and strains by taking a break every few minutes by alternating your tasks. If your job duties consist of computer and telephone work, you should perform a series of neck and back stretches every two hours.

Office staff could also work as a team to act as the posture police and say, “Quit slumping!” Many times if you get your entire office to act as detectives, looking for poor posture, it will become a habit and your posture will begin to improve.

Men and women in manual labor occupations put different stresses on the body. These people have problems that are increased by the “tough guy” attitude — for example, when a person tries to carry multiple boxes in one trip instead of making a few extra trips. The same attitude can result in problems when the laborer will not ask for help when lifting heavy objects.

To get off to the right start, these people should start and end the day with the proper stretching routine, like the ones used in sporting events. Many of these types of stretching or exercise routines can be provided by chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, or fitness trainers.

Other back pain prevention techniques include: maintaining a healthy diet and weight; remaining active; avoiding prolonged bed rest; wear comfortable-low heeled shoes; sleeping on a mattress of medium firmness to minimize the curve in your spine; lift with your knees keeping the object close to your body with no twisting; and quit smoking (smoking impairs blood flow resulting in oxygen and nutrient deprivation to spinal tissues).

Enjoy your many summers to come with a healthy back through simple preventative procedures. Your body will thank you in the long run.

Matthew Ryan Taylor is a chiropractor at Partners in Health and Wellness in Chapel Hill.