Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Daily Habits that Cause Back Pain

Almost everyone has few bad habits as a part of their life. Many people may not even realize that they picked up some bad habits. Once you get trapped into the bad habits, it is very difficult to break them. Nowadays, nearly 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives due to number of bad habits that contribute to it. Many of our daily habits are relatively harmless and can also be the cause of chronic back pain. It may be acute or chronic. Lower back pain is more prevalent amongst adults. Generally, chronic back pain is triggered by almost anything, including any kind of slight or sudden movements.
Daily Habits that Cause Back Pain
Back pain is the 3rd most common cause of surgery and 5th most common reason for hospitalizations. Every action you take in your every day life has an effect on back. Typical acute pain is caused because of misusing of the body in one or another way. Back pain is frequently caused by daily bad habits that stress your anatomy. If you become aware about any action that has a propensity to augment your back pain, then you would learn a better way of doing it or naturally do it less often. You can avoid your back pain now or in future by preventing some bad habits as well as relearning how to move and strengthen your entire body.

Saggy or Low Quality Mattresses

If you have back or neck pain soon after you wake up in the morning, then soft or low quality mattress may be your problem. Your back should be in alignment when you sleep. A mattress having the sags and dips in the center will twist the spine abnormally. As well, a soft mattress can throw your back out of alignment, hence it is responsible for the back pain. While mattresses that are too hard can raise pressure on the spine and aggravate the pain.

A good mattress lasts up to 9 - 10 years, but you should replace it every 5 to 7 years if you have a history of back aches or you don’t sleep well, as per the National Sleep Foundation. While replacing your mattress, ensure to pick right one that isn’t too hard or too soft.

Regularly wearing high-heeled shoes or flip-flops

High-heeled shoes or flip-flops can cause foot instability and significantly affect your back. Wearing high heeled sandals or shoes can force you to arch your back, which makes the working of your spinal muscles harder. Flip-flops can cause your feet to go from side to side, sharing out your weight unequally, which can be the reason for back pain.

It is ok to wear flip-flops or high heels daily but walking long distances with them can cause pain. Consider walking in comfortable shoes; as well consider adding cushioning into uncomfortable high heels/backless shoes.

Lack of Exercise

People who have sedentary life style during the week and shove hard on the weekends may face the back pain. Irregular exercise is also a big contributor to the back pain. Leading an active lifestyle is especially important for individuals suffering from back conditions such as arthritis of the spine, bone spurs, and bulging discs, as lack of exercise can cause muscle stiffness, weight gain, and other factors that contribute to the pain.

An ideal exercise routine should include about thirty minutes of activity, 3-5 times a week. Try to select an activity that you enjoy. Keep in mind that exercising doesn’t mean slogging it out on the treadmill. Try martial arts, dance classes, yoga or Pilates, or other alternate forms of exercise if you get bored with gym.

Insufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep may be your cause of back pain. At least seven to eight hours of sleep is necessary every night. Our spinal discs have not any blood vessels that bring essential nutrients to them. They are only nourished by water which gets depleted during the day. During the night, your discs get hydrated well. You should try to take at least eight hours of sleep each night, as overnight is the time when your discs hydrated again.

Spinal Health Conditions

Several causes of back pain are very serious. Even on an MR scan, they don't show up. Spinal cord tumors, tethered cord syndrome, team disease and Arnold Chiari syndrome are the most common among the serious causes of back pain. In the tethered cord syndrome, the tail that links pelvis to spine remains attached and causes pain. Arnold Chiari syndrome is a syndrome where the base of the cerebellum dangles too low and shoves on the top of the spinal cord. While team disease is a condition in which the blood vessels of the chest enfold around the spine and exhaust into the muscles which cause compression and consequently the back pain.

Almost 90 - 95 % of the back pain cases are not these kinds of situations. However, if your pain is not detected by the MRI scan, then consult a well-trained neurosurgeon, who can easily evaluate and treat these types of situations.

Poor Posture

If you are spending hours and hours at a computer or slouching in front of the TV, there are more chances of developing poor posture. The spine’s natural and neutral alignment bends due to the poor posture, which consequently contributes to sciatica, disc pain, and other problems. As well, any activity involving frequent rotation of upper torso in opposition to your waist may be responsible for micro trauma to your lower back and will cause back pain.

While sitting in front of computer or TV, always keep your back straight, head level, and your shoulders back, relaxed and down. As well, keep your feet somewhat apart, with your knees bending at a 90-degree angle.

Smoking

Millions of people worldwide have habits of smoking and drinking. Although medical science has yet to pin point why smoking plays a role in the back pain. Smoking is awful for discs. In smokers, discs get worsen very rapidly, and if for any reason you have to perform a fusion, it's almost not possible to do on someone who smokes. Numerous back pain patients have reported that they do smoking, which makes the connection too strong to ignore.

It’s best to quit smoking altogether. Your doctor will recommend you resources that help you to remove these bad habits from your life.

Carrying Child

Children bearing heavy weight can exert a lot of pressure on spine. People who are carrying their child on their shoulders are frequently struggling and squirming with back pain, causing them to twist and bend. No one has described an ideal position to keep them in, although some are worse than others. Carrying a child or person directly on your spine is one of the most horrible things you can do.

While lifting your child on shoulder, concentrate on keeping your shoulders above your pelvis as you curve your knees, and try not to go too far onward while you take hold of child.

Sitting and Bending

The most of the pressure on discs comes when you're seated and incline your body to pick something up. It is particularly inflexible for the lower back. Sitting for a prolonged period of time lacking proper lumbar support puts a lot of stress on your discs. So if you are seated in the desk chair and something has fallen, then stand up to get it.

Breaking the Habits That Cause Chronic Back Pain video from Youtube:

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