The moment you experience some dull ache somewhere in your body, it can immediately put a damper on your mental and emotional wellbeing. It’s a constant discomfort to anyone. It’s even more annoying when it’s a sharp or stabbing pain in your back. You’re probably wondering, ‘Did I sleep wrong last night?’.
Some back pain presents as a constant, dull ache that goes away after a few stretches or a hot shower. But some could result from that slip and fall on the iced pavement, resulting in more severe damage.
Chronic back pain presents itself through these symptoms:
- It comes on gradually, and it’s long-lasting
- Usually, last more than six weeks
- Limits or prevent you from doing physical activity
- You compensate in other ways to avoid feeling the pain in your back
Chronic pain in the back could be a result of a fall, or it could also be the result of underlying conditions. Typically, you should consult with a chiropractor any time you experience chronic back pain symptoms. In addition, it would help if you understand what causes chronic back pain, helping you to make changes and take preventative measures.
Here are some common reasons you’re experiencing that pain:
Cause #1: Muscle deconditioning
Also known as muscle atrophy, it is the most common cause of chronic back pain. Muscle atrophy happens when your back muscles lack the stability and strength to support your entire body properly. Over time, this leads to wear and time.
Atrophy or deconditioning is a natural process that happens to our body as we age. Too much inactivity shrinks and weakens the bones. This, in turn, reduces the bones’ ability to support ligaments and vertebrae, leading to pain and causing more injury. Without proper exercise and the appropriate physical health, muscle atrophy can increase and worsen.
If your back is hurting due to a sports injury, then avoiding certain activities that cause it would be the best approach. Avoiding things like heavy lighting or giving your body a rest is recommended to help your back heal properly.
Cause #2: Bad body mechanics and body posture
Posture and body mechanics contribute to the movement you make, and if you don’t rectify this, it will cause more severe damage to your spine and movements. Lousy posture can stress your spine and strain the soft tissue around it. The more and more you continue with these bad posture habits, the more it will break down the structural components of the spine.
Your work environment is a significant contributor to your body mechanics and posture. If your job requires a substantial amount of repetitive work such as regular lifting and carrying, you need to learn the correct way to do pick, move and lift without causing injury to your back. This is the best defence against chronic back pain.
Over time, long hours of sitting can cause your hip flexors to tighten. This will affect your hips and hamstrings, causing them to weaken and lead to lower back pain. If you do more deskwork and sit at your desk for long hours without any moving or stretching, this is also not good for your back and spine.
Hunching and looking down on your computer for extended hours will also result in kyphosis. Kyphosis is the excessive curving of the spine, which is also related to chronic back pain.
Cause #3: Genetics and aging
As we get older, our bodies change, and we experience pains and aches we never did before. These pains and aches become more common and happen even with a slight change in our routine.
Unfortunately, this is unavoidable unless someone has somehow found the elixir of life. As mentioned earlier, without proper physical exercise, we lose our muscle strength faster. The natural aging process also speeds up other pain-causing conditions to our spine.
Cause #4: Accidents and traumatic events
Trip-and-fall accidents, car accidents and other high-impact accidents can cause chronic back pain. Unfortunately, these events also speed up the aging process on the spine and flare up spine pain.
If no immediate physical therapy is done following a traumatic injury, this can lead to a person overcompensating their movements to lessen the pain. Over time, this overcompensating also causes disproportionate body mechanics and an imbalance in body posture.
Cause #5: Repetition of daily activities
The little things that we repeatedly do daily will significantly impact our bodies. Repetitive movements stress our muscles and structure, causing more wear and tear. These repetitive moments include sitting for long periods, driving, bending over and even sleeping in odd positions on an old mattress.
For chronic pain, surgery can be an effective and long-term relief. However, there are also non-surgical treatment options that can help before you take the surgery route, such as physical therapy. One of the best things you can do for your body before you experience chronic pain is to move.
You can start exercising, carrying weights appropriate to your body strength, doing yoga and Pilates, or even regular walking. Regular movement helps in strengthening your muscles and ligaments. Don’t forget to stretch at the end of your exercises to avoid injury.
