Are you the cause of your back pain?
Back pain usually doesn’t pop up out of anywhere and typically has a cause that begins and ends with what you’ve done. We’re not here to point fingers and ridicule, but if you learn the following five ways people hurt their back then perhaps you can stop the behavior and do yourself a favor.
5 Actions That Kill Your Back
- Your commute to work (and back home again.) A lot of people sit for a lot of time in morning traffic on their way to the daily grind, and in evening traffic on their way home. While this isn’t necessarily something to blame yourself for, there are things you could be doing to lessen the potential for pain in your back. Items like a heated massage cushion for your car could not only provide a nice massage on the way to and from work – like a traveling spa day, every day – it could also loosen those back muscles that get stiff and tense being stuck in the same position for so long.
- You sit at your desk for too long. Most nine-to-five office jobs force people into tiny cubicles with uncomfortable chairs and the bosses somehow expect to see productivity skyrocket in this environment. If you simply took your back massage cushion out of the car and into work, you’d be much more relaxed all day which could not only lead to less pain in your back but perhaps a better job performance. Alternatively, standing up and stretching every couple of hours could help blood circulation and relieve any back muscle cramps in addition to allowing your spine to stretch.
- You lift heavy objects the wrong way. You’ve heard “lift with your knees” a thousand times, but for some reason bending over with stiff legs to grab a heavy box is the norm. This is very typical and quite often the reason someone experiences lower back pain. Too much stress on the spine without using the legs to help evenly distribute the weight of the package can and will cause back issues. Just remember that if an old saying is still around, there’s a reason for it.
- You’re sleeping on a bad mattress. They say you should replace your mattress every 8 years because, quite honestly, at that point, it has collected quite a bit of your sweat and the number of dust mites is now holds is extremely unhealthy. On top of that, the springs or whatever mechanism used to balance and carry your weight have long since gone out and you are no longer getting the proper support your body needs – and your back gets punished for it. When selecting a new mattress, make sure you give it a test run to make sure it provides both the comfort and protection your back needs.
- You’re a “Weekend Warrior.” Hey, who doesn’t love a good game of football or pickup game of basketball on the weekend with friends? It’s a great way to shake off the stress of the work week and unwind while getting that much-needed exercise. However, the spin moves and slam dunks aren’t going over so well with your unconditioned back that is more used to that office chair than the end zone. You have to be careful when playing sports or getting too physical if you’re also not hitting the gym and getting your body into game time shape.
Now, this isn’t meant for you to sell your car, quit your desk job, or stop playing sports on the weekend – all that is great. This article is meant to simply make you aware of some of the things you might be doing (unintentionally or unaware) that are causing unnecessary pain in your back. That said, if you are experiencing pain in your back on a constant basis and have yet to find relief, Physician Partners of America specializes in minimally invasive pain therapy right here in Tampa.
