Is Backache Killing You? 10 Facts About Back Pain You Didn't Know | Injuries, Fractures and Burns slideshows | Body & Health Conditions center

8 in 10 people will suffer from back pain

Back pain – it might feel like someone’s stabbing you or it might just be a dull pain of an unknown origin. Back pain, especially lower back pain, is the problem of eight in every ten people. It’s not only an accident, injury, or fracture that can cause back pain — it is actually your lifestyle that is responsible for the onset of this unpleasant feeling. People unsuspectingly choose a lifestyle that ultimately results in the onset of back pain. If you want to keep yourself away from this irritating phenomenon, change your lifestyle right now and consult your doctor for a better lifestyle.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Michael Sauers by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/travelinlibrarian/5842244955/
www.rxlist.com/back_pain_myths_and_facts_slideshow/article.htm

Sitting Up Straight And Still Keeps Your Spine From Bending

A sitting posture is one of the major factors in the onset of back pain. A human backbone is made up of small blocks, known as vertebrae, which are joined together in such a way that they keep re-positioning themselves as we change our postures. This re-positioning is done for the comfort of our backbone. Sitting up straight is highly recommended to prevent early an onset of back pain. Develop the habit of sitting up straight and still whenever you sit on a chair, stool, bench, and especially while driving. People who drive too much are prone to back pain. This is because most of the drivers leave their lower-back unsupported which results in early degeneration of vertebrae and vertebral discs causing lower back pain.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Victor1558 by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/76029035@N02/6829467731/

Too Much Bed Rest Worsens Your Pain

You might have heard doctors asking their patients to rest if they want to recover quickly from illness. But it is not the same in the case of backache. Doctors always advise their patients to add light exercises and regular walks to their routine. A study in Finland published in 1996 showed that people who continued their daily activities without bed rest appeared to have better back flexibility and comfort than those who rested in bed for a week or two. Other studies found that bed rest alone may exaggerate back pain and may lead to complications such as decreased muscle tone and depression.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Felicia Akerman by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/metromani/5864245070/

Little Exercise A Day Keeps The Pain Away

Exercise is the key to a successful and healthy life. People who exercise at least 3 to 4 times a week are less likely to have back pain or any other chronic disease. Spending a couple of minutes on exercising and stretching makes your muscles and bones stronger. It increases the flexibility of the muscles and improves muscle tone. Exercise doesn’t only decrease the risk of injury but also doubles the healing ability of muscles and bones. No matter what type of exercise you perform, it generally helps prevent back problems and backache.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Jasmine Kaloudis by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/synergybyjasmine/6808422451/

Caution - Don't Lift More Than Your Body Can Handle

Lifting weights as part of your exercise routine is not a big issue. It makes your muscles strong, no doubt. But lifting heavy weights or heavy objects, more than your body can bear, is not smart at all. It can cause critical issues for your health and body. Whenever you lift an object, the backbone is the part that struggles the most. Over 60% of the weight of that object is carried by the back muscles and bones. Again, posture is an important thing here. If your posture does not allow you to divide weight between both sides of the body, there is a big chance that you will get a backache. It can be acute in some cases, while in it is chronic in others. Most people are not aware that they are doing damage to their back every day. Be smart, and don't lift more than you can comfortably handle.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Erich Ferdinand by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/erix/6046499828/

How Can You Develop Back Pain?

The primary cause of back pain is old age. Your muscles get weak and your bones become degenerated and as a result back pain develops. Age is the only factor that is non-modifiable. Modifiable causes include your fancy office chair and the way you sit on it, lifting heavy objects or heavy weight-lifting and obesity – one of the major causes of back pain at a young age, excessive use of a smart phone or tablet (the head-down position for long time strains your muscles in the neck and pain can extend all the way down to spine and back.), a sedentary life style and having too much rest can also cause back pain.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of David, Bergin, Emmett and Elliott by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/beglen/157901139/

More Pounds, More Pain

Being obese or over-weight is just like putting extra pressure on your body more than it can handle. It is just like you are lifting heavy objects the whole time. Extra pounds put extra pressure on the spine which can cause back pain. The pressure may increase the risk of back strain, a herniated disk, and degenerative disk disease. This extra pressure on your spine can also cause the wearing away of your disks’ outer fibers — increasing the risk of injury. Obesity is also known to contribute to the development of OA – Osteoarthritis. A large belly pulls your pelvis forward that in turn increases the curve in spine leading to backache.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Malingering by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/malingering/153059820/
backandneck.about.com/od/medication/a/obesebackpain.htm

Regular Chiropractic Treatment - A Shortcut To Relief

Chiropractic treatments mainly use hand-on manipulation and other treatment methods to keep bones and ligaments in the correct alignment, especially spine. Chiropractic treatment is safe and efficient. If you have constant back pain, chiropractic treatment is recommended. “Spinal manipulation and manual manipulation” is one of the techniques that help in getting relief from back pain. It refers to high velocity, short lever arm thrusts applied to vertebrae. This improves the functionality, restores range of motion in the back, and reduces nerve irritability. “Chiropractic Mobilization” is another technique which refers to low velocity manipulation, stretching and movement of the muscles and joints. This increases the range of motion within those areas.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Army Medicine by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/armymedicine/7374645668/
www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/chiropractic-pain-relief

Acupuncture - Thin Needles Can Snatch Away The Pain

Acupuncture is very helpful to many people who had chronic low back pain. Acupuncture involves inserting particularly thin long needles into strategic points on your body at various depths. Scientific studies showed that acupuncture relieved back pain better than medications or no treatment at all. These fine thin needles really work because when inserted into body at special points and depths, these needles stimulate your central nervous system (CNS). This in turn releases the chemicals or hormones into your brain, spinal cord, and muscles. These chemicals or hormones alter the experience of pain and promote a feeling of well being.

Sources & Links

Important notification about information and brand names used in this slideshow!
Photo courtesy of Victoria Garcia by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/ggvic/2864311951/

Don't Be A Softie - Get A Firmer Mattresses

Sleeping on the wrong mattress can worsen back pain. Lack of support from a mattress forces you to sleep in a poor posture, strains muscles and doesn’t help keep the spine in proper alignment. All of these contribute to back pain, and especially low back pain. There is no single mattress that fits the needs of all people with back pain. Different individuals get comfort from different mattresses. But it should be kept in mind while choosing your mattress that very soft mattress will do nothing but exaggerate your back pain. The best mattress for most of the people is medium-firm. It provides more back pain relief than firm or soft mattress. A mattress should provide support for your spine.