Lower back pain is a problem of bones and muscle, affects the back muscles in the low back. Back pain causes depression, disturbed sleep, impaired balance, and a withdrawal from the pleasurable activities of life.

Back pain is a common problem which affects many of us at certain times in our lives. About 60 to 90percent of all U.S. citizens will experience at least one back injury in their lives. Half of these people will experience multiple episodes of back problems.

Lower back pain can be triggered by a number of factors and different part of the back that can be affected. The most common causes of lower back pain are:

1. Poor seating and poor posture - Office workers are now spending more time at there desks which counter-balances improvements in chair and desk design
2. Too much caffeine
3. Kidney problems are frequently associated with low back pain
4. Pregnancy- commonly leads to low back pain
5. Emotional stress-commonly leads to muscle weakness and back pain
6. Sleeping uncomfortably on the wrong kind of mattress
7. Lack of exercise and general mobility - The public today is less mobile and with gadget like remote controls and mobile phones are moving less when in the home
8. Overweight - The body needs certain ingredients to function properly and at poor diet can take its affect on a person's muscles and bones.
9. Over-activity and Excessive sports
10. Poor muscular balance
11. Pre-existing back problems - If the true cause of a bad back is never rectified then the condition can continue for a patient for there whole life.
12. Age - Muscles and bones age which can result in less support for the back muscle's

However we can remove some leading causes of back pain by making some simple healthy lifestyle choices. You have a choice! Below are some tips to help to prevent and overcome lower back pain

1. Regular exercise .

There are lots of good reasons to use exercises to manage your backpain. First of all, it's an all natural way to deal with the problem. You're not constantly popping pills or wrapping ice packs around your back. Because it's all natural, you won't experience any harmful side effects. However, you do need to make sure you perform the exercises correctly so you don't injure yourself further.

Another great reason to take up exercise to manage your back pain is that it helps you avoid more damage down the road. Your core muscles are strengthened through regular exercise. And so you're making sure that your body is able to deal with everything. It's required to do each day.

2. Practice good posture

If you must stand for long periods, rest 1 foot on a low stool to relieve pressure on your lower back. Every 5 to 15 minutes, switch the foot you're resting on the stool. Maintain good posture: Keep your ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line, with your head up and your stomach pulled in.

3. Good sitting posture

Sit in chairs with straight backs or low-back support. Keep your knees a little higher than your hips. Adjust the seat or use a low stool to prop your feet on. Turn by moving your whole body rather than by twisting at your waist.

4. Good position for sleeping

The best way to sleep to reduce the pressure on your back is on your side with your knees bent. You may put a pillow under your head to support your neck. You may also put a pillow between your knees.

5. Reduce occasions of emotional stress

Try to chill out and stay relaxed, because getting wound up causes a lot of stress in all the muscles in the body, not just those in the neck. Stressed-out people are far more likely to suffer from back pain than those who are relaxed. A simple technique to reduce stress is to practise deep breathing. If you breathe deeply using your diaphragm, rather than your chest and neck, you'll help strengthen the deep abdominal muscles, which help to support the spine by tightening the natural 'corset' effect of the body.

6. Don't sleep on a hard bed

Despite what your mum told you about how sleeping on a rock-hard bed would make you grow up straight, hard beds have no give. This means they won't absorb and support your natural contours and the pressure of your bodyweight will be redirected back into your body. A good bed should adjust to the shape of your spine and be comfortable but firm - a bed that's too soft can also cause back problems.

7. Weight control

Putting on a lot of weight over a short period of time can place stress on the body by tilting the pelvis forwards and overloading the spine. Ever wondered why pregnant women suffer back pain?

8. Have massage therapy

Massage therapy is a great, non-invasive method of treating chronic back pain. It increases circulation to the muscles which helps speed recovery from injuries.

9. Stay flexible

Desk-bound workers should get up every 20 minutes, even if it's just to get a glass of water. Lack of mobility is the most common cause of back pain in men and it doesn't take a Nobel Prize in medicine to work out that slouching over a keyboard for hours will make you stiff.

10. Acupunture

Acupuncture may bring moderate to complete back pain relief for many sufferers. It can be used alone or as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes medications and other bodywork. Clinical achievements, along with positive research results, prompted the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to declare acupuncture a reasonable treatment option for those suffering low back pain.

11. Stay hydrated

Many types of pain are due to chronic dehydration in the body. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day can help reduce pain all over the body. It helps flush out toxins, lubricates and cushions your joints, helps relieve congestion and keeps your body in balance.

12. Balance in lifestyle

- If you smoke, quit. Smoking reduces blood flow to the lower spine and causes the spinal discs to degenerate.
- A diet with sufficient daily intake of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D helps to promote new bone growth

13. Breathing Techniques

Breathing techniques that make use of the mind-body connection have been found to reduce pain. Breath therapy was found to be safe. Other benefits of breath therapy were improved coping skills and new insight into the effect of stress on the body.

14. Yoga

Yoga creates balance in the body through various poses that develop flexibility and strength. A study of people with chronic mild low back pain compared Iyengar yoga to back education. After 16 weeks, there was a significant reduction in pain intensity, disability, and reliance on pain medication in the yoga group.

15. Lifting

Don't try to lift objects too heavy for you. Lift with your knees, pull in your stomach muscles, and keep your head down and in line with your straight back. Keep the object close to your body. Do not twist when lifting

If you are having constant issues with back pain then it is recommended to speak to your GP or see a back pain specialist.