What is Back Pain?

Many medical problems that we are afflicted with these days are the outcome of our hectic lifestyle. Backache is one of them. People who suffer from frequent back pain know how it can disrupt one’s life, making it hard to carry out even the simplest daily activities.

So, what exactly is back pain? Back pain originates primarily when we subject our spine to stress with overexertion, incorrect stretching and maintaining wrong postures. The spine lends structure and support to our body and assists in mobility and flexibility.

Common back pain causes:

According to studies, back pain is closely associated with the way the bones, muscles and ligaments in the back function. It is a common complaint among the elderly, but, can also occur in younger people due to obesity, poor lifestyle, bad posture, accidents, injuries, disk ruptures, muscle strains, infections and irregularities in the bone structure. A lot of women also tend to experience back pain before the start of their menstrual cycle.

A sedentary desk job is another common back pain cause. Sitting is primarily not a comfortable position for your back, so if your job entails sitting for long duration, make sure to give your back some rest – change positions frequently and every half hour or so, stand up and stretch a little.

Types of back pain:

Back pain can be categorised as upper back pain and lower back pain. Upper back pain is usually experienced due to disorders of the aorta, a tumour in the chest, or an inflammation in the spine. Lower back pain is a result of disorders in the bony lumbar spine, disks between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine, lower back muscles, spinal cord, nerves, pelvic internal organs and abdomen.

Symptoms of back pain:

Symptoms of pain can range from a dull, annoying pain to absolute agony. The pain can last a day, a week and sometimes even a month. If your back pain extends beyond 7-8 days, you should consult your physician to rule out possibilities of injury or any deformity. Some of the common symptoms of back pain are:

• Dull ache
• Difficulty in moving
• Tingling sensation felt in the back/spine
• Discomfort in standing up after sitting for a long time
• Back pain experienced when waking up in the morning
• Muscle spasm
• Sciatica

Easy remedies for managing back pain causes:

Taking rest, hot-water baths, a mild painkiller, exercising and some hot-water bag treatment can help you manage occasional backaches. A few simple exercises that help strengthen your back and abdominal muscles are helpful in preventing common backaches.

Eating more fruits and vegetable juices provides you with magnesium and potassium, which helps reduce muscle stiffness. Try to avoid fried and non-vegetarian foods, as they increase pain.

Emotional stress strains your muscles. So, maintain a healthy frame of mind and you’ll be surprised at the positive manifestations it has on your physical health.

To know how you can manage persistent back pain, call our toll-free 1800 266 0607 to book an appointment with Health Total experts.