Back pain has slowly become one of most commonly mentioned and discussed ailments amongst people of all ages and sizes. As we get older the more and more, we hear about it, we all begin to believe that back pain is just part and parcel of growing up and the speculations of the causes range from poor posture at our desks to bad mattresses and poor support in our shoes.
But, can we predict spinal pain in our lives? In the following article 218 participants were studied and there were some interesting findings that can help us predict low back. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31521021
Different patterns between female and male subjects were found:
- Age
- Spinal distortion
- Trunk unleveling
- Male vs Female
CONCLUSIONS:
In this study Low Back Pain was correlated with differences in spine shapes which can help predict functional disability of a patient due to LBP. Discrepancies between the model and the ODI result may suggest elements that are clinically relevant.
But… when is actually comes to low back pain is there something that we could be doing to prevent it? Let’s take a look at two of the most common causes of that pain in your back.
Soft tissue injury
The most common cause of back pain is often a result of soft tissue injury, including muscle, lumbar disc, and tendon/ligament pain. Often inflammation and micro tears of the anatomy in question stimulates nociceptors which registers pain in our central nervous system.
Majority of people will suffer from some form of soft tissue injury to their back in their lifetime, and unless the pain is persistent or unbearable, the issue is likely to be minor. Often spinal pains rectify themselves over a period of time. More serious forms of soft tissue injury will likely require a diagnosis, treatment and an exercise plan issued by your Chiropractor.
Is Poor Posture a cause?
Although not specifically mentioned in the above article, poor posture can cause the weight of your upper body to be dispersed incorrectly and in turn leads to the shortening and fatigue in important back muscles, specifically in the lower back. When these muscles are needed, they are often overwhelmed, leading to pain and soft tissue damage.
Posture correction and alignment can go a long way in alleviating pain in the back, and the best way to start is to identify how and why you are carrying yourself incorrectly or what activities you are engaging in resulting in that slumped position.
Joint, nerve injuries or spine related issues.
Spinal injury is something that can happen over a period time, specifically when the nerves, joints and muscles in your back no longer operate effectively together. This can cause all sorts of painful issues, not least nerve root related concerns.
Herniated, bulging or torn discs can cause extreme discomfort. These sorts of injuries can happen naturally over time due to ‘wear and tear’ however it is worth noting that a common cause of all three of these is also a poor technique when lifting weights or exercising. Excessive or sharp quick turning movements has been noted as a common factor of causality with regards to disc injuries.
Disc injuries are also commonly associated with a condition known as sciatica. Sciatica is defined as the pain felt along the sciatic nerve, which passes don through the spine and the hips and down each leg. Compression of the nerve from poor joint movement or disc pressure can cause extreme pain and discomfort in either leg.
As such, the most common causes of lower back pain can be attributed to spinal distortions of the body, either through poor posture, impact injury, improper movement when lifting weights or turning.
Spinal injuries often allow you to learn more about your body and how to correct your posture or movement. Without appropriate understanding of body mechanics, lower back problems will often persist and in some cases result in more serious and longer lasting issues.
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