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 consist of five intervertebral discs. These are often referred to as the lumbar. These discs are stacked on top of each other. They are separated by soft tissue, tendons, ligaments and muscles. The bones provide the structure and rigidity while the soft tissue provides for flexibility.
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.
The more common causes of lower back pain are simply strains or overuse. Small strains or overexertion can sometimes cause an imbalance in the spine. There is a constant tension on the other muscles to absorb the new balance. This can cause fatigue and stiffness and potentially lead to greater injury.
One of the challenges of the lower back is that injuries become key let us. If one area of the lower back cannot pull its weight, then the other parts must pull for it. This leads to an imbalance in the spinal structure. This can cause tension and fatigue to the other areas pulling more than their fair share of weight.
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.
Doctor's classify lower back pain into two separate categories. There is acute back pain and chronic back pain. Acute is milder and usually lasts a few days to a few months. Chronic is more severe and can last months to years.
The vast majority of low back problems are acute back pain. This comes from injury to the soft tissues. These can happen suddenly or they may happen slowly over time. If you list too much weight, this would be a sudden case. Improper posture can lead to one that occurs slowly and time.
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.
