Going by the number of advertisements for pain relievers that we see these days, it is obvious that the treatment of back pain has become big business. Many of us would know this already, having contributed to this industry ourselves after repeated bouts of backaches.

Besides the often debilitating pain, a bad back slows down the most energetic person, sending work schedules at home and at the office haywire. And far from what we believe, people with desk jobs aren't the only ones to suffer from back pain.

Homemakers do too. "Our lifestyles as well as our bad postures are the biggest reasons why most of us suffer from backaches.

But a few preventive measures can easily prevent backaches from becoming chronic," says Dr Vikas Gupta, consultant orthopedic surgeon at Delhi's Fortis Hospital. Here are some tips that will ensure you don't contribute any further to the pain reliever industry.

LIFT THINGS CORRECTLY This one is mainly for homemakers. In many homes, especially those with children, the homemaker spends half her time picking up things: the odd toy, the spilt meal, newspapers and the bits of debris that always seem to trail toddlers everywhere.

Now, it's okay to want a clean house, but this constant bending plays havoc with your back, unless you ensure you bend correctly. But most of us don't know how to bend right.

Dr Gupta explains, "While bending down, most of us bend forward from our backs, putting unnecessary pressure on the spine. The correct posture requires us to bend from the knees, so that the legs bear the pressure of the body.

Since women are more involved in housework than men, this is the most common reason for their back pain." So remember, bend your knees, not your back.

BAD POSTURE You may think it may be a great idea to experiment with the seating in your home and bring in backless sofas and the like, but think again. "Soft, fluffy furniture may seem relaxing, but sofas and chairs without back support encourage slouching - which many studies show can triple the pressure on the discs in the spine," says Dr Gupta.

So avoid such furniture. But just because chairs have backrests doesn't mean they are automatically good for the back, as thousands of office workers will bear testimony to.

So if you have a chair with a back that provides no support, props like a throw pillow, lumbar roll, or even a rolled-up towel placed behind the small of your back, will support it and help you sit up straight. Many of us also have a habit of tucking our legs against our chests while reading or lounging about at home.

That is not a good idea. Resting your feet on a small footstool is a much better way to relax.

This won't strain your back. If your kitchen sink is too high or too low, washing dishes can also really strain your lower back.

Dr Swarup, orthopedic surgeon at Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital suggests that you can fix that by resting one foot on a low stool under the sink. "Also, when standing in one place for a while, switch the weight of your body between one and the other of your legs every five minutes.

It'll take the strain off your lower back and help relax tense muscles," he adds. A BAD MATTRESS Most of us love watching TV while lying sprawled in bed.

We even love reading in bed. But a mattress that's too soft or too firm does not support the spine properly, causing back pain in the long run.

"The ideal mattress should be three inches thick and made of coir foam rather than a Dunlop one. The mattress shouldn't be very thick and even the bed should be firm enough to support the spine," says Dr Sanjay Swarup SPRING CLEANING The festival season is upon us and many of us are probably preparing for the annual spring cleaning ritual.

That, for even the least fastidious homemaker, means getting at the cobwebs and the dust behind all the cupboards, beds and sofas, and lifting heavy mattresses to air them out. What most of us don't realise is that these cleaning sessions can really damage our backs.

"Most of us are in the habit of pushing cupboards or other pieces of furniture using just our arms and back without realising the amount of strain it puts on our spine," says Dr Swarup. He advises homemakers not to try to be superwomen and to get someone to help them with heavy cleaning.

Even an innocuous exercise like using a vacuum cleaner can strain the back. It sounds bizarre, but it's true.

While vacuuming, many of us stand in one place and use our upper bodies to manoeuvre the nozzle, straining the back in the process. A better way to do it is to step forward and backward along with the nozzle.

And lastly, for those people who think housework is the ideal substitute for exercise, get real. The only way you will get fit is by following a regular fitness regime.

"A good and strong back requires proper exercise, ideally in the setting of a gym, that helps make your hip muscles strong," says Dr Swarup. WORKING ON THE LAPTOP Working on a laptop seems more fun than working on a boring old desktop.

After all, you can work on it while sitting in bed, on a sofa or even on the floor. But here's the spoiler.

The best way to use your laptop without ruining your back is, yes, to place it on a desk or table. "Although it's very easy to surf the net while lounging in bed, that position ends up putting tremendous pressure on the back and neck.

To avoid that, buy a keyboard and mouse (for the laptop) and as far as possible keep the laptop on a table and sit straight while using it," advises Dr Gupta. Dr Gupta also advises those frequently working on the computer at home to invest in a proper chair that has good lumbar support.

"Sit all the way back in the chair so that your lower back touches it completely. Then bring the chair as close as possible to your desk so that you can comfortably reach your keyboard and mouse," he says.

Doesn't beat working in bed of course, but given that the option is to spend quality hours with, and the better part of your salary on, your doctor, you know what you want to do.