Back Pain: Common Causes, Preventive Measures and Remedies
Millions around the world complain of back pain – among the commonly-reported issues by those seeking medical help. How it occurs? The reasons are myriad – from improper lifting and sitting for a prolonged period to a lack of exercise, a sedentary lifestyle, and poor posture, the causes are many.
Home remedies and self-care treatments may address the pain for the most part, but sometimes when things get out of hand or the pain results from an accident or injury of some sort, medical intervention is necessary.
Back pain comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be categorised on the basis of its location – lower, middle or upper back pain, or pain on the right-hand side, the left, or centre. It can also be ranked based on severity – from mild to moderate, severe, stabbing, sharp, or a broader ache in a particular area. How long it lasts can also be a determinant – acute pain might be brief and result from an injury, while chronic or persistent pain can be used to describe long-term pain (which might have lasted for more than three or six months).
Let’s explore two common reasons why back pain occurs and how they can be prevented or remedied
Back pain due to prolonged sitting
In most cases, assuming a sitting position for prolonged periods is seen as a reason for back pain. Most complainants talk about sitting on a narrow or hard surface at their workplace through most parts of the day, generally resulting in pain in the tailbone.
Tailbone pain is a feeling of agony or discomfort around the coccyx, the bony structure on the bottom of the spine. It may take a few weeks or months to go away on its own, but one can also lean forward while sitting or sit on a pressure-reducing coccyx cushion for relief. Applying heat or ice on the affected area might help as well. In severe cases, one can take a pain killer – in moderation, that is.
Back pain due to muscle ache or an injury
A muscle sprain or an injury due to improper movement or lifting, lack of exercise, wrong posture during exercising, or poor posture overall can also cause back pain. Utilising one’s back muscles instead of muscles in the legs, for instance, can result in such an injury.
While common remedies include resting, applying heat and/or ice packs, taking painkillers, or maintaining the right posture while sleeping, taking up low-impact exercises, like walking, might also help.
Plus, as we age, the fluid between the vertebrae in the spine lowers in volume, causing the discs in the spine to be easily irritated. You can also lose some muscle tone which makes the back more prone to injury. Strengthening your back muscles through exercise, therefore, might help reduce the chances of back pain from such causes
What else?
While these are two of the commonly reported reasons for back pain, there could be more – even severe ones like sciatica, a herniated disc, fibromyalgia, spondylitis, or arthritis. Such cases require medical intervention.
When should you visit a doctor? When the back pain:
- Lasts longer than a few weeks.
- Does not improve with rest, but remains severe.
- Spreads down to either leg or both, especially if the pain extends to below the knee.
- Causes numbness, weakness, or tingling in one or both legs.
For more pearls of wisdom on what else causes back pain and how to remedy it, join us on July 19th, 2024, for our webinar on ‘Back Pain Prevention’ from 11 AM to 12 PM. Register now by clicking here: https://omaninsurance-event.webex.com/weblink/register/r95c2cbb06f057c731aa013d16ca62297