We can all experience back pain at some point in our lives that may stop us engaging in activities. Sedentary lifestyles and desk jobs are a leading cause of back pain. How much do you sit in a day? Long periods of physical inactivity raise your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, obesity and muscular pain. Although back pain is uncomfortable, most of the time it is not serious and usually can be solved with some simple lifestyle changes.
Here are 5 common reasons we get back pain:
- Poor Posture – When you sit for long periods of time (especially in work and desk jobs) with rounded shoulders, your muscles will start to become imbalanced. These imbalances will lead to poor posture which in time will cause back pain.
Solutions – By exercising, you will strengthen your core which will help to keep your spine in a neutral position. Make sure to also strengthen your upper back as this is responsible for pulling your shoulders back. - Tight muscles – Many muscles surround the spine, if they become tight they will have some effect on your back. Your hip flexors, hamstrings and glutes are the main muscles that become tight and weak. When your hip flexors become tight they will pull your pelvis out of alignment adding to this weak hamstrings and glutes and they won’t be able to hold the pelvis in place which can cause an arch in your lower back, in time causing pain.
Solutions – Make sure to stretch and foam roll the hip flexors, back of the legs, glutes and lower back after training as this will loosen the tight muscles that are causing this back pain. - Lifting, carrying or pulling heavy objects – When lifting heavy objects many people tend to use bad habits and ignore good manual handling technique. This can possibly cause common muscle strains because of poor technique. A muscle strain usually goes into spasm which can cause extreme pain. If it’s an acute strain, it might only take a few days to heal whereas if it’s a bad strain it could take weeks or even months to heal.
Solutions – Increasing core strength, staying flexible and when handling heavy objects, make sure that you have proper form by keeping the spine straight and not rounded. - Weak core – Developing strong core muscles will help you to develop proper spinal alignment. If your core is weak, it can cause a curvature on your lower spine. Any small change around your spine can cause more pressure on your vertebrae, discs and muscles surrounding the spine making you more prone to injury and back pain.
Solutions – Make sure to concentrate on strengthening your core muscles and learning how to engage it while you exercise. - Being overweight – When you are overweight or obese, more pressure is put on your spine and vertebrae increasing the risk of injuries like bulging discs and sciatica.
Solutions – By changing to a healthy diet of natural whole foods and exercising regularly, you will not only lose weight but you will also get stronger and fitter helping you to avoid common back pain.