Back pain these days is the most common problem due to sedentary lifestyle, incorrect posture and lack of exercise. It is no more restricted to just old age, and makes people uncomfortable in their day-to-day routine.

Although back pain may be painful and uncomfortable, it is usually not serious.Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work and connect together.

What causes back pain?

 

Back pain in adults can be the result of some everyday activity or poor posture like improper sitting position while using computers, bending awkwardly, pushing or pulling or lifting something, standing for long periods, etc.

 

Since teenagers and lower age groups have more flexible body structure, back pain is not as common as it is in adults. In case of kids, carrying a heavy backpack, improper sleeping pattern, athletic injuries, etc. can be some common causes for the back pain.

Risk factors:

There are certain risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing low back pain:

• Mentally stressful jobs
• Depression or anxiety
• Pregnancy (pregnant women are much more likely to get back pain)
• Sedentary lifestyle – smoking, drinking and improper sleeping hours
• Age and gender
• Obesity
• Extreme physical exercise (if not done in a proper manner)

How to prevent back pain?

Here are some simple but effective back pain prevention tips:

• Physical exercise: Keeping fit is the best prevention method for various diseases along with the back pain. Exercisedaily, and make sure to follow proper postures.
• Proper body posture: Make sure to have an ergonomically-right workstation. Refresh the body by doing stretching exercisesin between work.Also avoid slouching and follow good sitting posture to maintainthe natural curve of the back.
• Eat healthy: Good eating habits not only help in keeping a healthy weight but also reduceexcessive stress on the body.
• Right sleeping position:By making simple changes in your sleeping position, you can take pressure off your back, the best is sleeping is on the side with a pillow between your legs.
• Reduce mental stress:Peoplereally don’t realize stress can trigger back problems. Activities such as yoga, meditation, deep breathing, etc. help in reducing the stress and keep the mind calm.
• Quit smoking:Smoking makes existing back pain worse. Giving up smoking will not only help in reducing the risk of back pain but also cancer, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases.

People can reduce their risk for back pain with simple lifestyle changes. However, there is one important point to note that one should never ignore the back pain but rather take it seriously and consult a physician if it persists for a long time.

The article has been contributed by Ms Kanchan Naikawadi, Preventive Healthcare Specialist, Indus Health Plus.