Back pain is one of the most common things people suffer from. It can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move. It can start quickly if you fall, or lift something too heavy, for example. It can begin slowly in less traumatic cases and may worsen if not targeted properly. Pain of any kind should never be ignored; it’s our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. Back pain could be caused by an array of different reasons. Now, if it is such a common problem, are some people more susceptible to it than others? Here are top five everyday causes of back pain.

• Getting older. That’s right, the all-time classic age problem. As we all know, back pain is more common the older you get. It is likely you will have your first symptoms as you reach your late 30s to early 40s.
• Being overweight. Too much weight can stress the back and cause pain. If you are overweight, this is a problem that should be addressed and carefully monitored.
• Diseases or conditions. There are inherited diseases that can cause back pain; disc disease is an example of this. Other diseases that are not inherited like some types of arthritis and cancer can also cause back pain.
• Your job. If you have a job that involves hours of sitting or standing in one position or one that makes you repeat a certain movement for a long period of time the tendency towards back pain in the medium term increases significantly. So, one cause of back pain can be attributed to the sort of profession you work in. Typically, they are all sedentary jobs in which you work in one position almost all the time. The other case is with jobs that involve your doing repetitive movements using the same muscle groups for a long time. The aspect that increases the tendency towards back pain is that except for specific muscle groups, other muscle groups are not exercised at all. Because of all this, great stress is suffered by the back muscles. Unless you have the adequate back support you might be in for some trouble. Also, good seat support is stupendous to help keep pain at bay.
• Poor physical fitness. Back pain is more common in people who are not fit. As mentioned before, insufficient exercise of some muscle groups can affect your back.

It is always a good idea to bear in mind that the important symptoms of back pain, namely,

• continuous aching, pain or stiffness around spine, neck, or hips,
• sharp pain in the neck, or back after lifting heavy materials, or
• chronic ache in the lower back after sitting or standing for long periods,
• can be successfully treated to prevent serious complications, if addressed in time.

Back pain affects many, if not all of us at some point in our lives. And though most cases are not severe enough to require any kind of specialized medical treatment, the discomfort people feel can, in some cases, be terrible. Many wonder whether there is something they can do to prevent back pain in the first place. Well, the answer is, yes. Here are some of the most effective ways to avoid it.

• Sufficient exercise. Exercise is important for a number of different reasons. Exercising often will enable you to keep your back muscles strong. Your abdominal muscles and back muscles work together in order to give your spine support and strength. By building up muscular strength and flexibility in your hips and thighs, you can maintain good pelvic bone alignment. Regular exercises such as swimming, walking, and cycling allow your muscles to function better. Also, good posture and regular exercise help minimize chronic back conditions. Remember to consult your doctor before you start a new exercise routine you are not accustomed to. Keep in mind however, that while regular exercise is great, it is important not to strain your back.
• Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight is simply unhealthy at many levels. To have strong bones, you need to consume enough calcium and vitamin D every day. Maintain a healthy diet in order to maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, it puts a tremendous strain on the back muscles. Losing weight can make a dramatic difference to back pain and discomfort.
• Lifting heavy things. Try to stand up straight and avoid heavy lifting when you can. If you do lift something heavy, make sure you do it carefully. Bend your legs and keep your back straight. Poor lifting and carrying techniques are the most common and most avoidable causes of back injury and pain. Never carry loads that are too heavy. If you think you may have trouble lifting something, get help. Don’t risk back injury.
• Proper support. Chairs need good back support. Use chairs that are at the right height. Straining to get on or off a chair, especially if you have to twist the spine into strange positions, can cause discomfort and injury. Ergonomically designed chairs are best. Where mattresses are concerned, it is important to get one that provides enough back support. Get a medium-firm mattress rather than a very firm mattress. Use pillows to support the neck, but beware they do not push your head and neck into odd angles.

Are you among the thousands of Americans who suffer from back pain? If so, then this information will be useful for you. The back is made up of 33 vertebrae, more than 30 muscles, ligaments, joints, and discs. Any and all of these are subject to injury. One of the most common medical problems both patients and doctors have to deal with is back pain. The number one cause of back pain is poor posture. Since we spend most of our day sitting, this can be corrected with posture and back support. However, there are serious injuries that could also be at the root of severe back pain. Given that chronic back pain can be difficult to treat, an overview of the most common injuries will help you prevent it.

• Muscular strains: This occurs when tears appear in some of the many muscles that we have in our backs. These tears are produced by unexpected twists, force, or pulls applied to the muscles.
• Ligamentous sprains: These take place when the ligaments in the back are stretched more than they should be. Ligamentous sprains may go hand in hand with muscular strains.
• Herniated disc: The spinal nerves in our backs exit the spinal cord. A herniated disc is caused when these nerves are compressed at this exit. This may be the result of working with constant vibratory motion (truck drivers or machine users) or lifting heavy objects incorrectly.
• Spinal stenosis: This is caused by a narrowing of the spinal canal. It is most common in people over 50. It has many causes, one of which is the thickening of the ligaments along the spinal canal, bony spurs, and enlarged joint cartilage.

Now that we have seen the most common causes of back pain, let’s have a look at some of the treatments available to help ease such ailment.

Most people avoid back pain by simply avoiding any kind of strain on their backs. Other options are supports, ice, heat, stretching exercises, and medication.

There are some red flags which may indicate a problem that may need special attention from your medical provider. These are:

• If you have back pain lasting several days
• If the pain is so severe that it wakes you from sleep
• If the back pain affects your control over urine and bowel movements
• If you have fever, chills, or sweats

This article is for informational purposes only. When suffering from back pain, please see your medical provider.

We tend to believe that our bodies do naturally good and healthy things. We assume that if the body does something by itself, then we shouldn’t interfere. But that’s not necessarily true. Give a monkey a pack of cigarettes, and it will smoke all of them. Where did its instinct of self-preservation go? Feed junk food to your dog and see if it stops eating it. Sometimes, we have to use our reasoning to find out what’s best for our health, we have to help our bodies. In other words, instincts need our aid. For example, you may feel that a soft bed is cozy and comfortable when you lie down on it, but how do you feel when you wake up? Surely much worse than if you had slept in a harder bed, where (according to you first thought) you shouldn’t even be able to close your eyes. The same happens when we sit down on a chair. First we sit up straight, but as time goes by, our posture becomes poor, and at the end of our working day we end up aching and in a bad mood —and we are lucky if we happen to know why.

But first of all, our bodies don’t use chairs out of choice. They do it because they don’t have a choice: by repetition, our social context fixes our behavior, it tells us to use certain objects or do things in certain ways. In fact, sometimes, during moments of relaxation or entertainment, people choose to sit on the floor, or to adopt different positions. This tells us that chairs aren’t the natural place to sit on.

So, why do we use them? They’re obviously a good invention, but nowadays their use is so widespread that we lost track of their origin. Besides, if we look around, we’ll see a lot of other inventions that are thought to be used together with them, which leaves us no choice. A brief history of chairs can help us understand where they come from. Books point to ancient Egypt, where they were used only by noble families. Then, Greeks and Romans adopted their use. For centuries, it was a symbol of status, while benches were used by common people in their everyday lives. And then, in the Renaissance, they stopped being a privilege and became affordable.

Like many things then, this object is here by “historical accident”, and now that we know it’s not a natural and perfect thing, we can question it, we can think of improving it. Let’s do it; let’s give our bodies some help. They need it, specially nowadays, when we live in a world built by civilization, pretty far from nature, and the things we use were already here when we arrived. It’s a mistake to assume that an object can’t be improved just because it’s been used for decades or centuries. Try adding a back support to your chair and see the difference. It will help you have a healthier life.

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