Life as a human can be hard. Our minds are limitless and our bodies are miraculous, but our backs are likely to give us trouble sooner or later. Knowing why can help us avoid common issues and can give us perspective when we're recovering from back pain.
Back pain’s pretty common, unfortunately
If you have back pain, you can take some comfort in knowing you’re not the only one. Back pain is common and affects the young as well as the old. It is estimated that 80% of us will experience back pain at some point in our lives.
And it’s complicated
Your back is not a simple structure — bones, joints, ligaments and muscles all work in combination to enable your movement. A sprained ligament, a strained muscle, a ruptured disk, an irritated joint — all of these can cause back pain.
Injury, overuse, poor posture, and stress
While sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes something much less dramatic, like vaccuming the livingroom floor — can have painful results.
In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also be a siide effect of kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots or bone loss.
And surprisingly, about 90% of lower back pain is non-specific — meaning it isn’t possible to identify a specific disease or structural reason to explain the pain.
Prevent back pain
Follow these tips to help keep yourself aligned:
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese puts extra stress on your back muscles and joints.
Exercise regularly. Exercise helps to strengthen your back muscles and improve your flexibility.
Maintain good posture. Good posture helps to keep your spine in alignment and reduce strain on your back muscles.
Lift with your legs, not your back. When you lift something heavy, bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
Avoid sitting for long periods of time. If you have to sit for long periods of time, get up and move around every 20-30 minutes.
Use good ergonomics at work. Make sure your workstation is set up in a way that is comfortable and supportive for your back.
See a chiropractor if you have back pain. If you have back pain that does not go away, come see us to get a professional diagnosis and an effective treatment plan.
“Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.”
Different types of back pain
Here’s an overview of different types of back pain.
Come visit us at Parkside
Come see our expert team at Parkside Clinic where we tailor our care to your specific condition and tap into your body’s natural healing ability. Make an appointment, or if you have any questions, contact us.