Lifestyle May Predispose You To Back Pain

 Exercise Can Do A Lot, Try It

Pain in any part of the body is undesirable because … well, pain, being what it is, is painful and makes you miserable.

One area of the body where people usually experience pain is the lower back. Generally, there’s no task that we perform that does need the input of the backbone. Whether you walk, lie down, lift things or simply sit down, you need the support of your backbone.

Many people don’t know how to maintain the wellbeing of their back, and they behave as if whatever they do is exclusive of this all-important part of our body.

Indeed, pregnant women would tell you that without the backbone, carrying pregnancy to term would have been impossible. Ditto those who do heavy-duty jobs such as lifting or driving heavy trucks. They need all the support the backbone has to offer to get by their daily schedule.

Physicians say the use to which you put your back will determine whether or not you could live pain-free. But then, what causes back pain?

Generally, experts say, the back is very prone to injury, and the risk is higher among extremely tall persons and the aged. Indeed, doctors warn, a simple act of twisting the back by turning full 360 degrees can lead to disc injury.

Family Physician, Dr. Damilare Okikiolu, says most low back pain is due to injuries that people sustain as a result of poor body posture when lifting heavy objects. If you don’t know how to lift heavy objects and you do it anyhow, you may sustain muscle sprains on the lower back.

He says sometimes, low back pain can also be caused by certain disease conditions such as cancer of the spinal cord, ruptured or herniated disc, sciatica, arthritis, kidney infections, or infections of the spine.

Other conditions that can give you lower back pain include arthritis, long-term pain and tenderness in the joints, muscles and tendons (fibromyalgia), inflammation of the joints between the spinal bones (spondylitis), severe infections of the bladder, pregnancy, and many other gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis, uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts and endometriosis.

Physicians also note that traumatic injury such as the type encountered in road accidents can lead to lumbar radiculopathy – a nerve irritation that is caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae.

Worse still, as simple as it sounds, the type, texture and age of your mattress can determine whether or not you get lower back pain! Mattresses come in various shapes, sizes and texture. Sleep experts say in order to enjoy comfortable and pain-free sleep, your mattress must be firm enough to keep the spine straight and lessen pressure on all the joints and the structures around the backbone.

Okikiolu says if you use a mattress that is too stiff or too saggy, it may not properly support the joints, and could therefore cause pain.

Again, your sleep position can give you lower back pain, physicians say. Okikiolu says if you sleep on your side, you should draw your legs up slightly toward your chest and put a pillow between your legs. This will take the pressure off your back, unlike if you sleep on your belly – a position that can put further pressure on your back.

Experts add that if you love sleeping on your back, you should place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back; while you also support your neck with a pillow.

And for those who prefer to sleep on their stomach, you can reduce the strain on your back by placing a pillow under your pelvis and lower abdomen, while also resting your head on a pillow.

Beyond sleep positions, though, Okikiolu says if you’re a smoker, lower back pain may be your experience for the better part of the time.

“The nicotine in cigarette restricts blood flow to vertebrae and disks, so they may age and break down more quickly. It may also interfere with the body’s ability to absorb and use calcium, leading to osteoporosis-related bone and back problems,” the physician submits.

In essence, Okikiolu says, if a back pain persists or becomes quite unbearable, don’t do self-medication. Rather, he counsels, it’s time to see the doctor in order to eliminate life-threatening causes.

Home remedy

Normally, when you see the doctor, after making your complaint, the next thing the doctor wants to know is what medications you’ve used or efforts you have made to ameliorate your pain. So, try these home remedies first; but if you don’t get relief, don’t hesitate to see the doctor.

• Rest: Stop your normal physical activities for a couple days.
• Apply ice: Generally, doctors recommend using ice for the first 48 to 72 hours then switching to heat.
• Massage.
• Stop smoking.
• RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is recommended within the first 48 hours.
• Alternate ice packs with a heating pad to relax muscles.
• Take over-the-counter pain medication.
• Sometimes, lying on your back causes more discomfort; if so, try lying on your side with your knees bent and a pillow between your legs; if you are lying on your back reasonably comfortably, it is helpful to place a pillow or rolled-up towel beneath your legs to elevate your feet to reduce the pressure on the lower back.
• A warm bath can often relax stiff and knotted muscles in the back.

twitter.com/iamsmartayo