One of the most common ailments people face is back pain and most people experience this at least once in their life. The reason being that there are many common causes that can cause this and simple solutions to treat this. Back pain can range from a muscle aching to a shooting, burning or stabbing sensation. Also, the pain can radiate down a leg. Bending, twisting, lifting, standing or walking can make it worse.
8 out of 10 people in the United States experience back problems at least one or more times.
Most back pain gradually improves with home treatment and self-care, usually within a few weeks. However back pain impacts many daily activities. And problems getting good sleep are common, with 37% of back pain sufferers having sleeping issues. Most people start noticing back pain between the ages of 40 and 60. Back pain is more common for women, About 33% of adult women experience lower back pain symptoms, while 25% of the adult male population experiences back pain. Back pain is one of the most common reasons for employees missing work.
Let us discuss below a few such common causes of back pain and their easy solutions.
- You Lead a Sedentary Life:
If you are seated for 7-8 hours every day without moving much then you are leading a sedentary life which means you do not get much needed physical activity and if your posture is not right(1), then that could be the culprit behind your back pain which cannot be eliminated without moving. You need to move as much so that blood flow is boosted towards your back muscles that will help in relieving the stiffness.
- You Ignore Your core:
When we speak about core here, we are not asking you to work out to achieve a six-pack, By core we mean, your pelvic, back and buttock muscles with your abs muscle need to be strong that supports your movement and reduces the chances of the occurrence of back pain.
- You are Emotionally Stressed:
Struggling with emotional stress not just takes a toll on your mental health but also causes physical discomfort (2). Many depressed people have been known to suffer from back pain. In fact, studies have suggested that people with depression are four times more likely to suffer from back pain. As someone withdraws from depression, it may trigger the release of a stress-related hormone called cortisol which may cause back and shoulder muscles to tense up and spasm which may result in chronic pain and depression. The solution to this issue is proper medication along with anti-depressants and also mood enhancing exercises (3) like meditation and yoga that will help ease the stress which will reduce the occurrence of back pain.
- You Smoke:
Smoking does not just cause lung issues, but it affects your overall health. When you smoke the nicotine restricts blood flow to the vertebrae and disks which may cause them to age and break easily. Nicotine also interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium that may lead to osteoporosis which may cause back problems. The only easy solution to this is that you quit.
- Your Fashion is the Culprit:
Wearing high heels for long durations is not recommended but flats can also be an issue when the arch support is not right and continuously using such footwear can cause back knee and foot pain. Buy a pair of shoes that fit you properly and support your arches comfortably and try using that pair of shoes most of the time to avoid any physical discomfort.
- You Sleep on Your Stomach:
Your sleeping position can also be a reason for back pain as if the posture you sleep in causes strain on your spine then it may cause back pain. If you are used to sleeping on your stomach, then it pressurizes your joints and muscles. But if you have to sleep on your stomach, then slide a thin pillow under your hips which will relieve the pressure on disks.
While all the above-mentioned techniques may help in easing off the back pain but if you are still unable to achieve complete relief, then you need to get an interventional pain treatment that can help in eliminating the back pain.
(1) Guide to Good Posture
(2) Psychological Approaches to Pain Management
(3) 5 EXERCISES THAT CAN HELP YOU MANAGE CHRONIC PAIN
I was really interested in the part of your article that talked about the core and how some people do not have strong enough muscles there to support their movement. I’ve never been an exercising kind of guy, but I’m not very overweight or out-of-shape either. This is why I was shocked when I constantly contracted back pain for weeks and weeks and still hasn’t stopped. If I can find a chiropractor in the area that can take a look at my own core and see what I’m doing wrong, it could definitely help.