Lower back pain is a common health problem in society. Maybe, backaches are so underrated that we unlikely relate them to serious medical issues. Most of us just go for a painkiller to ease the lower back pain that we sometimes feel after being on the computer for hours and hours.
Some people have pain when they have spent many hours laying on the bed or sleeping. Others experience it after being sitting down for over two hours. Don’t you think it’s time to find out why?
The spine is an engineering masterpiece. It is comprised of many subparts such as joints, muscles and tiny bones that are connected in order to provide mobility to the whole body.
The spinal column is also divided into several parts, but its lowest part is generally one of the most affected areas since many factors can bring changes to its shape, cause hernias, and rupture in some ligaments.
Any bad move, blow, or bad sitting or sleeping posture can give rise to lower back health issues. If you are suffering from lower back pain, you should do your research on it to find out the source of the problem.
What you should know is the function of lumbar back. This part of the backbone permits the individual to bend and twist. It also contains many nerves that make it possible that a person can feel the lower limbs and pelvis.
The lower back is equipped with muscles that help the person rotate and make quick movements when walking.
Everybody has experienced lower back pain at least once in life. In the United States, it represents the second reason to go to the doctor after flu and bad colds.
Besides the aforementioned causes, this health problem is also related to other issues such as:
• Trauma and injuries • Degenerative spine disorder • Kidney infections and stones • Tumors • Obesity (the main cause of degenerative spine disorder condition) • Loss of muscle tone • Sprain • Ligament or muscle tear • Joint problems related to arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other types. • Smoking excessively: special research in Finland showed that smokers have 31% more chances to experience lumber back pain since it dramatically reduces blood circulation in that area. • Herniated disc • Infection in the spinal column • Diseases that affect the female reproductive system such as endometriosis, ovarian cysts, ovarian cancer, and uterine fibroids.
What are the lumbar back pain symptoms?
It was already explained that the pains are not always the result of an accident and that other factors can be linked to this kind of condition. Nonetheless, the majority of patients experience this health problem after an injury. Some lumber back pain – related symptoms are:
Itching and burning sensation: caused by nerve damage or any other similar pathology.
Pangs in the area: caused by tumors, kidney disease, etc.
Pain that radiates to other areas, such as legs, hip, and the bottom of the foot.
Muscle spasms.
The severity of the lower back pain may vary depending on the cause and the source of the injury. For example, back muscle strain can be more intense than the degenerative disc disorder since the latter often features intermittent and mild symptoms.
How to relieve lower back pain?
When having lower back pain, it is necessary to follow some recommendations to approach the problem properly. Some of them are:
Avoid physical activity when the pain is at its first stage. By doing so, you will be able to control inflammation and ease the pain.
You might as well use a pack. Get a bag and put some in it, and place it on the affected area. This remedy helps relieve the backache. Do it for 48 up to 72 hours. Don’t forget to apply something warm after using the pack. The ice numbs the lower back and the heat reinforces the effect of the cold.
Sleep in the fetal position at bedtime to ease the discomfort and the pressure in the lumber back.
Use an over-the-counter analgesic if the pain is intense and persistent. However, it is always best to go to the doctor and not overuse these medications.
Do some low-impact exercises after taking a 1-hour break. With the aid of a personal trainer, you can do some aerobics and stretching exercises.
Massages are also good for lower back pain relief. Make sure to count on an expert since malpractice can worsen the problem.
The experts recommend:
Working out or doing physical exercises every day
You may think it is something insane to exercise while having lower back pain. But what you don’t know is that doing physical exercises on a regular basis helps strengthen back muscles and improve blood circulation which leads to a faster recovery.
Of course, there are special methods to perform these exercises; that’s why all of them must be done with the assistance of a trainer or specialist in the field. Some of those activities are Yoga, pilates, stretching exercises, and push-ups.
Ergonomic setup
The Ergonomics Health Association helps you implement safe work habits making sure people are mindful and taking care of their posture. Making a transition from a traditional desk to a standing desk and using standing desk stools & chairs will reduce further health implications.
Shedding pounds
Many overweight people usually suffer from lower back pains. In order to get rid of them, they should make ways to lose weight and reduce the pressure of the upper part of the body upon the lower part of the spinal column. Being overweight can also lead to joint and muscle problems.
Keeping off stress
Although it may turn out a little difficult, getting away from stress may be of great help. A large number of lower back pain cases are originated by constant exposure to stress. Hectic life and household chores are the main reasons why people find it hard to experience less stress.
Lower back pain, the most crippling health problem in the world
On some occasions, this pain can go from the lower part of the spine all the way through the thighs. When this occurs, then we are in front of the pain of sciatica, which is another way to refer to the terrible discomfort at the lower of the part of the spinal column.
A British journalist described the ailment saying that it was like she was burning, she couldn’t find a body position to relieve the pain.
“When I started to suffer from lower back pain, it was absolutely unbearable. I only wanted a painkiller or something that made me unconscious. I was rigid like a piece of wood and I couldn’t sit for months”.
Having this health issue made her replace her desk at work with a bouncy ball. The bouncy ball helped reduce the pressure on the nerves.
According to the statistics, people who live in developed countries are more vulnerable to this ailment; this is because of the lifestyles of many individuals. However, lumbar pain is a common thing worldwide.
The BBC anchor Claudia Hammond once explained that it hasn’t been easy to ascertain the number of cases in the developing countries but a lot of effort is being made to keep track of the incidences as well as it has been done in the developed countries.
In accord with one of the studies carried out by the World Health Organization, this health issue panned out to be more common than it was actually thought. The stats were the outcome of a study made in 187 countries.
Professor Tony Woolf from the Cornwall Hospital in the UK made a point that one out of 10 people suffers from backaches and that a great percentage of those individuals are still in working age.
The impact of this medical problem goes beyond the negative effects on the working activities, since a person with lower back pain can even find hard to carry out the household chores.
The major part of the cases, according to Professor Woolf, is in the western countries. Yet, he clarified that one out of fifteen people in underdeveloped nations has lower back pain.
The research also showed that the more developed a country is, the more back pain cases pop up because people tend to live longer in those places. The longer you live, the more chances you have to experience backaches, especially after the age of 40.
