Back Pain and Modern Lifestyle: Causes and Action to Be Taken

With the fast-paced life and modern conveniences, we are used to sitting for a fair portion of the time.

Ever considered how much time of the day you spend sitting? From that car seat to your workspace chair for that 8-hour shift to the couch of your living room.

Research showed that prolonged periods of physical inactivity enhances our risks of developing chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Furthermore, it also increases musculoskeletal pain, such as lower back pain, which the majority of people are facing these days.

Sitting for a long time lessens blood flow to the discs, which cushion your spine and thus puts more pressure on it than walking or standing. The lower back sits in between the hip and upper back; if we look at our sitting posture, these areas get locked up when we sit for a longer period, thus making it stiff.

Symptoms of Back Pain

Signs and symptoms of back pain can include:

• Muscle ache
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain radiating down your leg
• Pain which gets worsens by bending, lifting, standing or walking
• Pain which improves with reclining
• Not able to stand up straight

The symptoms of back pain are typically short-lived if due to pressure or misuse but can last for days or weeks. 

Back pain is chronic when symptoms last more than three months.

7 Ways to Avoid or Stop Lower Back Pain?

• While working on computers or laptops, pull your chair close to the table to avoid leaning forward. Keep your keyboard and mouse at the same level. The monitor or screen should be directly in front of you to avoid leaning forward or have a hunched back.
• Always sit on a chair with a backrest and tilt the back of the chair occasionally. You can even use a small pillow on the office chair or even while driving.
• Make sure your posture is always straight and plant your feet on the floor.
• Stretch your wrist, arms, shoulder, and back to avoid stiffness.
• Drink water from a glass of water so that you can move more. Try to get up from your seat every 30 minutes. You can take a toilet break/tea break, or you can also climb stairs. This will protect you from back pain.
• Try and breathe from your belly while you work. On each inhale, draw your navel towards your spine. This helps the core muscle and supports the upper body.
• Most of the time, people sit crossed legs, which can trigger back pain. Because siting crossed-leg, keep your spine straight & shoulder squared and overstretch the pelvic muscles around the pelvis reason. So avoid cross-legged while sitting.

Home Remedies for Reducing Back Pain

Heat/Ice Therapy

Studies have shown that heat/cold therapy can relieve discomfort and help lesson inflammation. For Ice therapy, wrap ice in a thin towel and apply on top of the affected area to prevent damage from direct contact to the skin.

Heat therapy can also help in reducing pain due to inflammation. You can consider altering between heat and cold therapy.

Exercise

Exercise not only improves your posture but also helps in strengthening the back and abdominal muscle- called core muscle. 

It involves:

• Improving posture
• Using proper weightlifting techniques
• Strengthening those core muscles
• Stretching your muscles to improve flexibility

Here are some exercises and yoga postures for back pain relief. Do 3 reps for 15-20 min daily for long term benefits.

If the above-mentioned exercises are a lot for you to do or you do not have time, then you can also do some chair stretching exercises to relieve your lower back.

Essential Oil Massage

Research indicates essential lavender oil or capsaicin-made ointments can help to relieve pain.

Capsaicin is the ingredient that makes pepper hot. These ingredients may desensitize the nerves in the affected area to reduce the pain that you experience.

Salt Bath

Epsom Salt is been used for ages to treat muscle aches and pain. A hot bath with some Epsom salt will do wonders for sore muscles. Your body can absorb the minerals from the salt bath, and they can help relax muscles that are tired.

Meditation

A clinical study suggests that mediation may work better than painkillers in soothing chronic lower back pain. The study showed that the MSSR (mindfulness-based stress reduction) beat traditional medical care treatment for managing lower back pain. Here is how you can start meditation daily - 12 Scientific Reasons to Meditate Daily!

To people who have experienced back pain and want to avoid another battle with it, the good news is that you can take action to prevent back pain. Regular exercises, yoga, and strength training will help to make the back and core muscles more flexible and stronger.