Why is back pain so common?

Comedians used to joke about headache when they said, “Not tonight, honey.” But they got it wrong. Back pain is the real passion killer.

Dealing with this pain is not just about physical suffering – it is a debilitating health issue with grave implications on the mental health of the sufferer. 

You would be surprised to know that up to 80% of the population experience back pain at some time in their lives. Worldwide, back pain is the single leading cause of disability, preventing many people from engaging in work as well as other everyday activities.

Most cases of back ache are mechanical or non-organic – meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture, or cancer. Then, what’s the reason behind getting chronic back pain? Why is it so common?

Here are the most common reasons for back pain:

• You sit all day long. And guess what? The worst possible position for your back is a seated position. Yet most workers spend 90 percent of their time in a chair in a non-ergonomic workplace. And they drive a car to and from work. Add to the mix that 90 percent of adults over 25 years of age have a job. You do the math! We’re talking about lacs of people having work-related back pain.
• You don’t think or care about taking optimal care of your back until it hurts, and yet when it hurts, you’re too afraid to move (which inadvertently makes things worse).
• You aren’t in good physical shape.

Also Read: Backache? No problem. You can still ‘Bend it like Beckham’.

• You’re trying to get in shape, but you can sometimes be a weekend warrior and you can’t help but overdo it. This sets up a cycle where you work out too hard, have pain, stop working out, then go right back to the gym or your favorite sport and start hurting again…and so on!
• You do work out regularly, but you often push yourself too hard, sometimes working out or playing sports even you’re in pain.
• You rarely, if ever, do the kind of exercises that strengthen all your core muscles properly.
• You rarely, if ever, stretch your muscles before and after a workout, and even if you know you should, you don’t.
• You love your high heels or shoes that look fabulous but don’t quite fit properly.
• You’re always on the go, carrying heavy bags in a wrong way or children or both, and then cleaning the house and doing the daily chores for your family.

Also Read: Backache during pregnancy: 7 tips for relief

The good news, of course, is that once you add a regular stretching routine to your daily life, and once you strengthen the core muscles that support your spine, you will not only alleviate your low back pain but also help prevent recurring bouts of it.

Like all good machines, you need to warm up your spine and condition your muscles before becoming a champion at what you do, whether it’s swimming, gardening, lifting heavy weights, running after your kids or playing soccer on the field.

To know more on what you can do to prevent or manage back pain, read on this blog - Backache: Prevention and Management