The Primary Causes of Lower Back Pain and How Millions Incur It Without Knowing
If you’re a posture
professional you already know about the lower back and the millions of
people who suffer from pain in this area. It’s far too common to hear
someone complain about their lower back. It’s almost become natural to
work with someone in a fitness or health environment and one of the many
complaints they have about their body is their lower back.
What could be the
cause of lower back pain? There are quite a number of possible reasons. A
person may experience pain in their lower back because of an injury.
This seems to be the most plausible response for some because pain
usually follows an injury. The scary part is when the pain seems so
sudden or it’s been there for weeks off and on and there doesn’t seem to
be an end to it. Most people will try some form of medication and if
it’s really bad they’ll see a doctor.
What’s happening in
the lower back region and why are millions suffering from this now
commonplace issue? Lower back pain can be caused by a torn or pulled
muscle and/or ligament. A strain occurs if a muscle is stretched too far
and tears while a sprain occurs when ligaments are overstretched and/or
torn. This all sounds quite painful and anyone who has experienced it
can attest to this.
Mechanical issues and
other injuries can cause lower back pain. From damage to the
intervertebral discs to compression of nerve roots, it’s all painful and
can come on without a definitive injury or noticeable warning signs.
However, most people wouldn’t think about movement and body alignment as
a cause for concern.
If body alignment
comes to mind when you think of lower back pain then you got that right.
Body alignment and posture are also major concerns as they can often
lead to a sprain and/or strain. Body alignment doesn’t seem like much at
first nor like it’s of super importance until it really is an issue. It
may start with routine unsupported spinal flexion (bending forward to
touch your toes), and end with a movement as simple as twisting in a
chair at work to grab papers on the desk behind.
Can you imagine
throwing your back out and missing weeks off work because you threw your
back out grabbing papers? Neither can most people. It just seems so
simple, but the issue here is that this kind of problem doesn’t just
happen. It’s the result of prolonged poor body alignment and movements.
Imagine the average
person sitting for eight plus hours daily. This puts some pressure on
the spine as is, but now think of those people performing basic
activities of daily living with poor alignment. Many perform activities
with their shoulders and neck out of alignment; as they walk, sit, and
stand they may hunch over for hours. Now think about their exercise
routine most people aren’t performing exercise movements in proper body
alignment.
Taking everything
into account so far it’s no wonder people experience lower back pain.
It’s not just the injuries and the actual pain it’s what builds up to
it. Keep In mind, it’s quite possible to get into an accident and
experience a sprain or strain even if you consistently have good body
alignment. Injuries on or off the job aren’t uncommon; people hurt
themselves falling, lifting with their back, or via some other
catastrophe. However, think about the millions who aren’t aware of how
their body alignment contributed to their lower back pain.
How does one relieve
lower back pain? It’s easily relieved with some form of medication, but
this shouldn’t be the staple. Exercise to strengthen weakened muscles,
stretch tight muscles, perform activities in proper body alignment, and
take breaks. These are all great methods to help alleviate the issue.
Above all, we must all learn about the issues that cause lower back pain
and make adjustments to avoid them.
With posture in mind,
have you taken our yearly trends survey? You’d be shocked at how many
personal trainers and health professionals skip posture or just don’t
know the role it plays in our day to day lives. Please take a moment and
take our survey. By taking the survey you automatically enter to win
access to our NPI-Certified Posture Specialist™ program.
Here’s the survey: http://www.surveyshare.com/s/AYAYHSD |