Many of us suffer from low back pain. It is amazing that most of these problems are preventable. Generally, the majority of low back pain is coming from incorrect sitting, incorrect posture and improper lifting. For whatever reason, we become lazy and take shortcuts. This puts extra burden on the lower back which can lead to discomfort and pain.
The lower back is often referred to as the lumbar. The lumbar consist of five cervical discs. This part of the back tends to take the stress and strain that is put on the body by the forces of gravity. These five discs are connected with soft tissues consisting of tendons, ligaments and muscles.
Of course, as we get older injuries become more likely to are lower back. Maintaining the flexibility of the soft tissue areas is vital to your longevity and mobility. Many of us have experienced having back pain after an injury. However, many people experience back pain because of long hours of sitting.
Flexibility is your lower back is its most important asset. Especially, maintaining the flexibility of the soft tissues between the cervical disc bones. These areas must maintain the ability to transmit weight between the upper and lower body. This requires strength and flexibility.
Some of the more common causes of lower back pain are muscle strain, injury and overuse. Lower back pain is interesting because small strain causes the other muscles and disc to take up the slack. If something is injured, the other areas of the body must make up for this reduced capability.
Stress and tension can build up in the body from sitting in a given position for long periods. Another way this can happen is through improper posture. These cause tension to the spine because it is not being used in its most optimal position.
Most of us don’t realize the importance of our lower back. It gives us our mobility. Small impacts to the lower back can affect this mobility as well. The lower back and spine must provide two major functions. One is to absorb shocks and impacts. The second is to transmit the weight between the upper and lower body.
Many people sustain a small injury to their lower back generally; they just hope that it passes. However, many of these situations cause the spine to become out of ballots. The person will actually begin to change their posture and adjust to the effect of the injury. It is important to see these changes occurring and to take proper corrective action before injury occurs.
There are two main categories of lower back pain. The first is chronic and the second is acute. In the case of chronic back pain, it is much more serious than acute. Chronic back pain may come from serious conditions such as degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease or spinal disc herniation. These conditions may require surgery and physical therapy.
Acute back pain generally comes from damaged muscles, tendons, or ligaments. It generally strikes a person suddenly. This may be the result of lifting too much weight or a sudden movement of the body. These are generally treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, chiropractic manipulation, exercise and massage therapy.
There are also certain conditions which can also lead to low back pain. These can range from osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis or a herniated disc can also cause low back pain. It is always important to check with your physician to obtain an accurate diagnosis. They can help advise on to the nature of your situation. They may also recommend natural treatments such as chiropractic manipulation, stretching and massage chair therapy.
Most of the common causes of acute back pain are preventable. Make sure you have proper ergonomic seating, maintain proper posture and advised by proper lifting techniques. These will go along way to preventing injury to your back. Also maintain a proper diet, exercise frequently and relieve stress with a relaxing massage.
