Back Pain? You Might Want to Stop These 5 Mistakes
There are a lot of things that can cause back pain. Most commonly, poor daily habits are the ones that cause you to have an aching back.
If you’re constantly suffering from back pain, or if you need to take steps to prevent a painful back, try to avoid these five unhealthy habits.
1. Sitting for Too Long
Sitting improperly can also overstretch the spinal tendons and strain the structures surrounding your spine. Sitting for a long period of time can degenerate the muscles in your back and they can become less flexible. It can also reduce the amount of blood circulating and the oxygen going to the muscle cells.
Additionally, it changes the natural curve of your spine, which means your back muscles have to hold your back in shape.
2. Improper Lifting
Improper lifting of heavy objects increases the stress placed on the back and can easily cause muscle tears, tissue damage or in more serious cases, small fractures. To avoid this, use your bum muscles more when lifting heavy objects; if possible, ask someone to assist you.
When it comes to lifting weights, it can help strengthen your back only if done correctly and with appropriate training and assistance.
3. Poor Posture
Poor posture is one of the significant reasons for lower back pain but is also one of the most underlooked. Bad postural habits alter the biomechanics of your whole body.
The increasing pressure on your lower back due to altered biomechanics can cause discomfort in your back. Practicing and maintaining correct posture is important in order to avoid serious health problems.
4. Staying Overweight
Generally, people who are overweight are at a much greater risk of back pain. The weight contributes to the risk of injury to the spine and back and puts additional pressure on the spine. Since there is excess weight in the core, the pelvis is pulled forward, straining the lower back and creating a lot of pain and medical issues.
The body’s center of gravity and will shift with excess weight. This shift will pull your body forward and strain your back. The shift will also cause your body to hold an unnatural posture which in return can cause pain and other back problems.
5. Smoking
Smoking can affect the part of the brain that processes sensory stimuli and the central perception of pain particularly; cigarettes affect the way the brain sends its pain signals. Smoking our tissues of the lower back can also get damaged and to a different place in the body by slowing down circulation and reducing the flow of nutrients to joints and muscles.
