One of the main reasons people visit physicians is due to pain, and many times those visits are to discover the reason for lower back pain. Statistics show that nine out of ten adults will experience back pain at some time during their lives for one reason or another.

Suffering with lower back pain can make even simple tasks such as bending down to tie your shoelaces or standing for 10 minutes in a bank queue unbearable. And because the best way to fix back pain is to prevent it from happening in the first place, we're going to look at three of the major causes so you can take steps to avoid back pain being a part of your life.

Cause #1 - Improper Posture

The #1 reason people suffer with lower back pain is due to the amount of time we spend sitting, combined with the way we position our bodies when they do. Our daily lives often require us to sit for many hours at a time. It might be when we are traveling to and from work (or anywhere else), working in an office or at home, or especially when we are watching television.

If you are the type of person to slouch down with your legs crossed and head tilted forward while sitting, then there's no doubt that you will develop lower back or neck pain in the future. To prevent this, sit upright with your feet flat on the floor. Always perform a posture check every now and again until your bad sitting habits are overcome.

Cause #2 - Lack of Exercise

This may not be the cause of back pain in and of itself, but if your muscles are strong, it's going to be less likely that you will suffer from lower back pain. Doing some form of regular exercise will help you to build up the muscles surrounding your spine, which in turn will help to support it.

Similarly, people who exercise daily yet neglect their back muscles also have a high chance of pain throughout the entire back. This is called a muscle imbalance and typically occurs when a person works out their front but completely ignores their back.

Cause #3 - Degenerative Disc Disease

While the other causes of lower back pain are normally self inflicted, unfortunately degenerative disc disease is not something most people can prevent. It's caused when your discs in your back lose strength to the point where they simply can't absorb the impact placed on your body any more. This results in your spine being less flexible, which makes it more difficult for you to enjoy daily life. As the name suggests, there are a number of stages to this disease as it progresses, so if you suffer with back pain symptoms, it pays to have them checked by a medical professional who specializes in spinal health.

Understanding these 3 common causes of lower back pain can help you make lifestyle changes that will help your back stay healthy. While degenerative disc disease is not something you can prevent, an expert in the field can help you create a treatment plan to manage your symptoms.