Here’s a statistic that will probably not surprise you: Via
the American Chiropractic Association (ACA), experts estimate that somewhere around 80 percent of the
population will eventually deal with back pain.
Back pain is also regarded as one of the most often cited reasons for being
absent from work and it’s also led to an absolutely staggering 264 million lost
work days over the course of a single year.
Clearly, back pain is hampering the productivity of the American worker, but
more alarmingly it is having a real and tangible impact on the quality of life
that many people are able to experience.
Sadly, back pain has grown into such an epidemic because it is remarkably easy
to make yourself susceptible to it as the reasons listed below will illustrate.
Aging
Chiropractors such as Dr. Donald Littlejohn are quick to remind their patients that back pain is a condition you need to be more aware of as you grow older.
The gradual weakening of your bones and muscles that occurs as you get older can contribute to more frequent bouts with back pain. There are also certain parts of your back that deteriorate further the more you age.
Aging also puts you at greater risk for experiencing back pain for the simple reason that you may no longer be as fit as you used to be. One wrong step or fall to the floor and you could sustain an injury to your back.
On top of all that, aging also makes you more susceptible to the types of diseases that can cause you to experience significant amounts of back pain. Osteoporosis is one notable concern. The National Institute of Neurological Doctors and Stroke also points out that older individuals are at greater risk for being diagnosed with the condition known as spinal stenosis.
Stress
Have you ever noticed that your back pain somehow feels more intense on those days when you were swamped at work? Or perhaps you feel your back acting up more whenever the due dates are approaching on your bills?
All of that may seem like a coincidence at first, but there may actually be an underlying reason for why those things are happening.
Stress has been identified as a potential cause of back pain. Back pain can be the result of dealing with stress because that body reaction can trigger the tightening of muscles. Once those muscles in your back get tense, you can count on suffering through another uncomfortable night.
Many Americans subscribe to the notion that the stress they have to manage regularly is contributing to their back pain. Per The Good Body, 29 percent of Americans believe that stress is directly causing the discomfort in their back.
Weight and Overall Fitness Level
The average human body is not designed to hold up a significant amount of weight all the time. That’s one of the reasons why you may start to feel more nagging aches and pains as your weight goes up.
Additional weight can place more stress on your bones, thus causing them to deteriorate faster. Carrying too much weight around constantly is eventually going to take a toll on your body. One of the more common side effects of being overweight is the emergence of lower back pain.
If you have neglected following a routine of regularly exercising, you should also prepare to experience back pain sooner rather than later. This time around, it’s not your bones that are suffering. Instead, it’s your muscles that could prove problematic.
Weakened and out of shape muscles are not as capable of providing the support your skeletal frame needs. Furthermore, those muscles that have not been engaged in a long time are also more prone to injuries.
Strains
As noted above, muscles that don’t receive any form of regular exercise are more likely to get injured. You will up the risk even further if you attempt to perform strenuous physical activities.
You’ve likely heard of people saying that they “pulled something” whenever they tried to lift a heavy object they absolutely shouldn’t have. That’s likely because they have either over-extended or possibly even torn an underutilized muscle in their body, which has led to the occurrence of a strain.
Improper lifting technique can also contribute to strains as you may be putting too much pressure on the wrong part of your body.
You should also know that it’s not just your muscles that are susceptible to strains. Even your spinal ligaments can suffer from strains, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Various Ailments and Conditions
Unfortunately, a high number of ailments and conditions that people may experience can also lead to the development or worsening of back pain.
Some obvious examples of ailments and conditions that can cause you to experience greater amounts of back pain include arthritis as well as the aforementioned osteoporosis and spinal stenosis. Those are not the only culprits you need to be mindful of however.
Other conditions that can bring about bouts of back pain include fibromyalgia, radiculopathy, and general inflammation. There are also some conditions that you may not think of as common causes of back pain such as kidney stones and certain infections that can add to your discomfort.
Poor Posture
Back pain is not just the result of getting older, stress, being out of shape, an injury, or even some kind of medical condition. In reality, there can also be some unremarkable explanations behind why you are currently experiencing back pain.
Among those could simply be the fact that you aren’t exhibiting the right posture when you are sitting down. Slouching is terrible for your back because it places so much pressure on your joints. Then again, hunching over is also not good for you because it can lead to your back becoming stiffer.
As chiropractors like Dr. Donald Littlejohn frequently tell their patients, exhibiting the correct posture when you are sitting down, standing up, or even just using an electronic device is crucial to better back health. Allow your poor habits to persist and you could find yourself suffering from back pain way earlier than you expected.
Back pain is a common condition, but you don’t just have to accept it as a reality of life. Adopt the habits necessary to deal with back pain more effectively and make sure that you get any discomfort checked out as soon as possible to prevent the problem from getting out of hand.
Back pain may not be something you can completely avoid, but you can certainly address it better so that its impact on your life is minimized.