Almost every adult out there has gone to stretch after they’ve stood up and thought, “ouch!”. If you are lucky, back pain won’t bother you at any point in your life, but unfortunately, we are all hit by it!
Figuring out your back pain isn’t always straightforward to start with. You could blame it on being flat-footed, or sleeping awkwardly, but some back pain goes beyond those “usual” things and can actually pinpoint something more.
The Adult Spine
It’s not easy to figure it out, but it can help to understand a little more about your back and where it could be painful. The spine has 24 bones from top to bottom, known as the vertebrae. Not only that, but the coccyx is a separate bone and the sacrum has more, too. This is what supports your body and keeps you upright. Each disc is made with cartilage and has a gel material to act as a shock absorber in between each vertebra.
The Cause of the Pain
Now you know a little more about how the back is structured, it can help to identify the source of the pain. If 80% of people will at some point feel pain in their back, then it stands to reason that at least one of these reasons will be the cause of your back pain. Let’s take a look at some of the possible causes!
Slipped Disc
There are the vertebrae, and then there are the cartilage discs in between each one. If one of these spongy discs is pushed even slightly out of place, you’re going to have some pain. It can happen with the smallest movement, but when it does, it can really sneak up on you and then make you feel like you’ve been hit by a train.
Heavy Bags
Whether you are carrying the shopping home from the stores or you’re carrying a backpack all day, heavy bags cause you to stoop over and pull the muscles across the top of your shoulders. This then causes further pain in your back and can be very uncomfortable.
Back Pocket Storage
Believe it or not, the cause of a lot of back pain in men is because of the wallet stored in the back pocket. When you sit down, your hips are at an angle, and this means that you are sitting at an angle. The angle you sit can directly affect the way your muscles hold up your spine, which then leads to pain.
The Wrong Shoes
Whether you are wearing heels for work that are too high, or you have flat feet, you should consider that your back pain maybe because of the way you walk. The experts at AposTherapy can help you here. You should always seek help if you can’t identify your back pain, as it could be in the way you walk!
Sitting Posture
When you sit at your desk, if you are hunched over and working at a keyboard, you need to consider that your poor posture is going to be the cause of the pain in your back. It’ll be less about your spine and more about the muscles supporting it!
The Way You Drive
Bumping over those country roads with loose stones and gravel is one thing, but the answer to the equation here is in your seat position in the car. It would help if you had your hips at a 90-degree angle so that you can absorb those bumps in the road. Don’t forget, sitting for an extended period in the car is also going to cause you some pain!
Tight Muscles
How often are you stretching your arms and back? If you’re spending your time feeling tight and tense, then it’s likely because you’re not stretching out enough every day. Start your morning with a good stretch and do the same before bed, too!
A Pinched Nerve
One of the worst pains to deal with in the back is down to a pinched nerve. The compression in the nerves can cause radiating pain in other parts of your body, too. For example, the sciatic nerve goes from the lower spine into the leg, and this can cause pain down the backs of the thighs and leave you with shooting pains from the back to the butt. It’s really uncomfortable, and if you think you’ve pinched a nerve, you may need the help of a physio.
Back pain is really not a joke. Take the time to talk to a doctor if you feel worried about the pain in yours – it’s better to get it fixed!
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