7 COMMON CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Understanding Back Pain

To understand the cause and effect of back pain, you need to understand that your body is a system. That means a group of parts, organs, fluids, immune systems, etc, coming together to function as one structure. Have you ever heard of something being described as the “backbone” because it’s so important to an organization or system?

The backbone is one of the most important parts of your body. In fact, a lot of times, pain in your back maybe originating from any given part of your body. A healthy back is a healthy body and mind. Failure to take care of your back may have a ripple effect on your well-being.

To understand the cause and effect of back pain, you need to understand that your body is a system.

This article is primarily a discussion on the sources and causes of back pain. It also sheds some light on prevention and treatment. To see a full discussion on prevention and treatment,  read: Nine ways to prevent and treat back pain.

The 7 Common Causes of Back Pain

There are many possible causes of back pain, many of which will not be covered here. The following are some of the most common causes of back pain:

Fat

Weight is one of the causes of back pain. Fat in the front means pain in the back. Many people who are overweight experience back pain. They suffer needlessly, simply because they are having a difficult time getting rid of the weight that they are carrying.

Your body can only stretch so far out of its nature. If you are carrying around too much weight in the front of your body, your back is going to suffer.

As you put on additional pounds, the spine begins to distort and to compress. It can also have an effect on your pelvis, tilting it forward and perhaps causing it to pinch your sciatic nerve. That is a major reason why overweight people tend to have lower back problems. It’s either because of sciatica or because of the distortion of the spinal column.

If you are experiencing this problem then there is really only one thing that you can do in order to overcome it. Lose weight. Unfortunately, weight loss is not something that is simple and it is a bit time-consuming. But the benefits of weight loss far outweigh any inconvenience that you may experience from the effort.

How to lose weight

There are two things that you can do in order to lose weight naturally. These are diet and exercise. The point of it all is to use more calories a day than you take in. Start exercising slowly, especially if you’re having problems with back pain. You should also do stretching exercises as well as concentrating on your core body muscles. Within just a week or two of being on this weight loss program, you should begin to notice the difference.

Stress

Few people would think of stress as one of the causes of back pain. We see it simply as something that all of us go through on a regular basis. For many of us, it’s not something that causes us physical pain. For others, however, stress can cause a number of different problems. These problems range anywhere from cold and flu symptoms to severe back pain.

Back pain that is caused by stress is actually a psychosomatic (mental) problem and not one that is caused in and of itself. Being stressed out can cause the feeling of backache in some situations.

In other situations, it may prolong the amount of time that your back is hurting. Unfortunately, this type of back pain does not go away with typical natural treatment, it requires something much more than that.

How to treat Stress

The good thing about stress relief is that it’s not just for back pain. It can help improve your quality of life in many other ways.

If stress is one of the causes of back pain, the first thing is to calm down in some way. Although this is easier said than done, it certainly is possible to ease your back pain. But for the most part, it requires you to adjust your thinking in one way or another.

Begin by meditating on a regular basis. Contrary to a common belief, meditation is not necessarily a spiritual practice. Simply reflect and allow your mind to focus on positive things for several minutes. Repeat this regularly, or even daily where possible.

Read: Meditation for busy people.

Read: How to manage stress.

Kidney Related Back Pain

As stated in the beginning, your body is a system. As such, one problem at one part may originate from another part. Another one of the causes of back pain is a kidney problem. For many people with kidney problems, the related back pain is worse than any other.

The most common type of kidney-related back pain comes from having kidney stones. These small stone-like calcium deposits pass through your kidneys, tearing the lining that is inside the kidneys along the way.

The pain that is felt from kidney stones is described as being some of the most intense pain that you could ever have in your life. Unfortunately, once a kidney stone starts moving there is very little that you can do to stop it. It has to stop on its own.

That is why the prevention of kidney stones is the best way for you to overcome the problem. You prevent them by watching your diet to a certain extent. Additionally, you should drink plenty of water throughout the day. This water will help to flush your kidneys and to keep the calcium deposits from building up.

Another type of kidney disorder that can cause considerable pain is a kidney infection. This type of infection can either be mild or severe and should be addressed quickly. Not only can it be one of the causes of back pain, but can cause permanent kidney damage.

It is important to note that kidney infections can cause more than just back pain. The pain may actually radiate out into your front and could be misunderstood as abdominal pain.

Again, it is important for you to make sure that you take care of your kidneys by drinking plenty of water. We recommend 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.

Your shoes may cause back pain

Have you ever been on your feet for some time and experienced back pain as a result? Many people consider being on their feet to be the culprit. But the fact of the matter is, it might actually be their shoes that are causing their back pain. If this is the case with you, you have two different options to be able to overcome the back.

The first thing that you can do is to make sure that you are wearing proper footwear. For most people, this is the only must-do option. The right shoes are especially important if you have to stand on a hard floor on a regular basis.

Another thing that you can do to move around to get off of your feet. It sounds simplistic, but it works. For some people, this will be enough to solve the problem. But what if you have to stand on your feet all day at work?

If this is the case, you need to either have a good pair of shoes that will support your feet. Alternatively, you place something underneath your feet for cushion. There are some pads that are made specifically for this purpose in order to keep us from standing on a hard surface all day long.

When it comes to choosing shoes to alleviate your back pain, you have to do it right. First, the shoes must fit properly. Second, they must be able to breathe to prevent sweating and potentially causing other problems.

Your diet can cause back pain

Do you realize you can experience back pain because you’re eating the wrong kinds of food?

Here’s a little bit about the types of foods that you could be eating in order to overcome back pain. Note that there are also a few that you should avoid.

First of all, you need to minimize the eating of processed foods. Processed and sugary foods contain toxins that may lead to back pain. This is only the case in certain individuals but it is something that you should look into.

If you cut sugar out of your diet, you will get better both mentally and physically. The same is also true of many of the processed foods that poison our system.

Warning: Just so you know, drinking diet coke is not a smart way to avoid sugar.

Dehydration is another thing that could cause back pain. I know we already talked about drinking water, but this is different. See, with kidney problems water is usually the only way out. But when it comes to hydrating your body, there’s a little bit of flexibility. In this case, you can take other liquids such as fruit juice. But remember juice should be taken in addition, not in place of water. And no soda or alcohol, please!

One thing that you can do is add raw, organic fruit, and vegetables into your diet. Don’t try to drastically change everything all at one time. Changing lifestyle and diet will crowd out some of the other things that may be causing problems on the inside.

Back pain starts with a weak core

Not all back pain is created equally. Some people have it because they are overweight and that puts their spine out of alignment. Other people have it because they strain themselves with work they’re not prepared for. One of the best ways for you to overcome back pain to have a strong core. There are a number of ways for you to accomplish this, and with surprising benefits.

The first thing that you need to do is decide how you’re going to strengthen your core. There are a number of different ways to do this. For example, some people enjoy doing Pilates or perhaps yoga in order to strengthen their core muscles. Others look more to weightlifting.

Most of us only consider the abdominal muscles to be the core of our bodies. But the fact of the matter is, the core muscles stretch around the back and help to support it. Think of someone who lifts weights on a regular basis wearing a wear a belt around the midsection. The core muscles wrap around the midsection, making it much less likely for you to have an injury.

It is always a good idea for you to be in balance by starting in the right footing. Don’t give in to the temptation to simply do crunches and sit-ups in order to strengthen the core. You will be much better off if you do an overall body workout that incorporates a core workout into it.

Posture

Some people experience back pain because they sit at work all day. This can hurt your back in a number of different areas, depending on what it is that you do.

Your upper back can hurt if you work on the computer, especially if you tend to lean forward often.

Many of us also shrug our shoulders as we are working naturally. This can cause some severe upper back pain as well. If this is your problem, you should learn how to relax your shoulders. Also, you should take the time to stretch slightly every five minutes or so. It’s even better if you can do some exercises at your desk chair.

Your lower back may also hurt simply because your posture may not be the greatest in your chair. Very few of us that work for a company have an ergonomic chair that is going to support us properly.

To make sure that our back is in alignment we are going to need to adjust it ourselves. Focus on making sure that you are sitting up straight and not slouching in your seat, putting your spine into an unnatural alignment.

There are several different things that you can do which may also help if you have this problem. One thing you can do, especially working by yourself is to sit on a Pilates ball for several hours.

Something else that you might want to try is getting up every now and then for some body-weight exercises. There’s no need to do a lot, just get up and move so that you switch your position. And whenever you sit back down, you will be more conscious of the position in which you are sitting.

A Note on Smartphone and Back Pain

How many people have you seen lately standing idly or staring blankly in the air? Not many, are they?

With the advent of the information age, mobile gadgets have become ubiquitous. Whether on the street, bus station, airport, or mechanic garage, everyone’s eyes are glued to some mobile gadget. While it’s great to have all the information on your fingertips, there are associated costs.

Above the monetary cost, is the cost to you back and overall health and fitness. According to the National Institute of Health, the use of smartphones is a growing cause of back pain.

Well, I’m not going to tell you to stop using smartphones. I know it’s just not realistic. But always mind your neck and posture and take breaks or lift your head up every now and then. Additionally, make sure you exercise your neck and shoulders thoroughly and often.