7 causes of back pain you didn’t know about

Wondering what's causing your back pain? Here's a list that might help.

Pavitra Sampath | Published: August 14, 2015 2:24 pm

Spending long hours at the office, driving back through the traffic-jammed roads or carrying a heavy purse over the same shoulder for long hours may be some of the reasons that are leading to your back pain. Dr Suraj Bafna (PT) at Qi Spine Clinic lists the unsuspecting culprits that could be the cause of your back pain.

You are a desk jockey: Sitting for long hours puts 40% more pressure on your spine than standing. When you sit, you tend to bend over, pressurizing your back. This posture can overstretch the spinal ligaments, add further pressure on the disks and surrounding structures in the spine. Over time, it can damage spinal structures and worsen your back pain. To fix this problem, lean back slightly to reduce the compression of the discs in the spine. Get up and walk around for a couple of minutes every half hour—do backward stretches, walk when you talk over your mobile phones, take trips to get water, use the bathroom, or grab papers off the printer. You may also like to read about how your desk job is affecting your health.

Your life is in your bag: Your bag may hold half the household stuff but it may cause back damage. An over-stuffed bag makes your body imbalanced and elevates one shoulder, thereby throwing your spine off-centre. If you can’t reduce the contents, try alternating your shoulders so as to pain-proof your load by distributing it more evenly. The best advice is to use a bag pack. Here’s how a heavy purse can affect your back.

You are slumping at the wheel: The long commute back home, braving the choc-a-block roads can make you slump out of exhaustion. When you do so, your chest muscles tighten, thereby rounding off your shoulders. It is imperative to sit at a 90-100-degree angle with a lumbar roll, close to the wheel, so you don’t have to stretch. Repeatedly extending the leg to press the brake and the clutch puts you at a higher risk of back pain radiating down to the leg. You may also like to read about the health hazards of bad posture.

You are a picky eater: Studies suggest that people who suffered from back pain were more likely to have clogged arteries than healthy people. Healthy circulation brings nutrients to the spine and removes waste. A healthy diet for your back includes eating whole grains, soy, nuts and seeds, protein (chicken, fish, lean meat), vegetables, and fruit. You may also like to read about how crash dieting can give you ack pain.

You have got your moves wrong: If you think ab crunches are a sure-shot way of getting a washboard stomach, you may be wrong. Only doing crunches may cause excessive compression, which may result in spine curving. Well, you don’t have to ditch crunches completely but including them as part of a broader core workout works better. Abdomen muscle supports your back, and the best way to make them strong is by full body exercises. Do back extensions pre and post your exercise routine. Here are 5 exercises you can do instead.

Your mattress is too soft: A very soft mattress lets your lower back sink, throwing the spine out of alignment. It also stresses your muscles, ligaments and spinal joints. Whereas very firm mattresses can increase pressure on the spine and worsen pain. Pick one that’s not too soft or too hard on your back or the one that maintains the curves of the spine. Here’s how your sleeping posture can affect your health.

You’re wearing the wrong shoes: Wearing improper shoes lead to foot instability, which can in turn affect your back. While high heels make your back arch, thereby stressing the spinal muscles whereas strapless shoes like sandals cause your feet to move from side to side leading to an uneven distribution of their body weight. If you have to travel for long distance, wear comfortable flats or sneakers that support your feet. You may also like to read how the wrong shoes can lead to many more ailments.

Image source: Shutterstock

Published: August 14, 2015 2:24 pm

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