Common Causes of Back Pain
It seems that nowadays just about everyone suffers with back pain, but did you know that there are many common causes of back pain that are quite easily preventable?
At Align Corrective Chiropractic we help people with back pain every single day.
We are strong believers that preventing back problems from developing in the first place, is a far better approach than treating the symptoms of a back problem. This post will outline a few, very common causes of back pain and what you can do to minimise them.
1. Sitting Too Much Is One Of The Most Common Causes Of Back Pain
Most people sit way too much. For a lot of people, a typical day looks something like this: They get out of bed and sit for breakfast, they sit on their commute to work, and then they sit at their desk the whole day. After a long day of sitting, they come home to sit on the couch. Prolonged sitting results in a lack of movement, placing an enormous amount of extra strain on the spine, which can cause back pain.
TIP – Be conscious of the amount of time that you spend sitting and take measures to minimise it. I recommend that you should try avoid sitting for longer than 20 minutes at a time. Set a timer at your desk/couch, and make sure you stand up and move every 20 min. Stand whilst you eat breakfast. Learn a few basic stretches that you can do at your desk.
You want to interrupt your time spent sitting by changing your posture and including movement.
2. Sitting Position
It’s no secret, sitting slouched or hunched over your desk/computer/book/food/phone is going to strain your spine. It’s far better to sit in an upright, relaxed posture. I have had a few patients recently notice that their neck hurt after some reading in bed. Turns out they were half lying, half sitting on multiple pillows, pushing their head forward for hours at a time. No wonder their necks were hurting!
TIP – This may mean changing the height of your monitor, using a support for your lower back or sitting in a more appropriate chair whilst reading.
You want to be more aware of the postures that you are in.
3. Sleeping Position
Many people wake up feeling stiff and sore. Sometimes it’s because of an existing spinal problem or an inappropriate bed or pillow, but for many people, it’s down to their sleeping position.
TIP – If sleeping on your side, make sure your pillow is the correct height to keep your neck in a supported position, and place a small cushion between your knees.
You want to keep your spine as neutral as possible whilst sleeping.
4. Lifting
I can’t tell you how many people hurt their backs gardening. Often due to crouched postures, strenuous activity and incorrect lifting. Moving that awkward, heavy pot to the other side of the garden is just not worth hurting your back.
TIP – If you have to lift something heavy, squat down and lift by straightening your legs, make sure you keep your back straight and don’t twist whilst lifting.
You want to be aware of your posture and your weight limits whilst you lift.
What should you do if you have back pain?
Even though these above factors are common causes of back pain, they are often just the final straw that triggers off or aggravates a more serious underlying spinal condition. There are many other causes of back pain that shouldn’t be ignored.
If you are battling with any spinal problem, such as headaches, neck pain, lower back pain or nerve compression you should have them appropriately assessed. Many of our patients’ spinal problems are due to poor posture or structural misalignment. Having these issues properly assessed and addressed is exactly what we do at Align Corrective Chiropractic. This could improve your symptoms and have a dramatic impact on your quality of life.
If you want a healthier spine, give us a call on 031 5629180 or email us on reception@alignchiropractic.co.za to find out more. Click here if you would like to book a new patient consult.