Back Pain: Find The Cause, Find The Solution
Back pain creeps up on you like a waiting monster. It grabs your spine and feels like it is ripping it from your body. It squeezes your lower back until you can’t take the pain anymore. Fortunately, this monster is not invincible. All it takes is a good education to put him back where he belongs. Defeat the monster by reading this article and implementing the tips below.
Most people deal with infrequent back pain which comes up seemingly out of nowhere. The truth is that the cause is normally over-exertion. Shoveling the driveway, gardening, lifting too heavy objects, or sitting at a poorly designed desk are common culprits. When your back hurts you “out of the blue”, consider what you were doing within 1-2 hours before it to find the cause.
The most common cause of random but long-lasting back pain is an injury. While being in a car accident makes the cause obvious, sometimes the pain seems to appear when no significant injury occurred. All it takes is one box that is way too heavy for you, and you can hurt your back seriously. While it may not hurt badly at the time you lifted the box, mostly due to all of the chemicals which make you feel good when you are exercising, the pain can come on later. When lifting, always bend at the knees, not the waist.
If you have injured yourself, talk to your general practitioner for help. You may need physical therapy, massage therapy, or some trips to the chiropractor. Regardless of where you end up, your family doctor knows your medical history and which option is the best for you. For example, there are some conditions which could be exacerbated by visiting a chiropractor, and your doctor will know that. Ask first to avoid problems later.
When it comes to long-term, repetitive back pain, posture is a likely culprit. If you sit at a desk all day hunched over a keyboard, your back is going to hurt. If you are reaching up or down to your keyboard, your back will be strained. The same goes for your neck if you have to look up or down at your monitor. Set up your work area so that everything is within easy reach and view to cut down on the pain in your back.
A lack of exercise can cause two conditions which lead to back pain. The first is being overweight, and all that heavy fat on your body can shift your center of gravity, causing you to lean backwards. Lose the weight, and you can cure the back pain. The second is that your back muscles will be weak and won’t be able to support your body. A little bit of strengthening exercises can go a very long way to eliminating your back pain.
These simple ideas may seem like common sense, but so many people with back pain ignore them. All you have to do is analyze your situation to figure out what the cause of your pain is and how to stop it from happening again. If you take the time, you will be rewarded with a pain-free existence, and who can say no to that?
