Back pain is a common everyday problem which affects more than 75% adults at one point or the other in their life. Most of the times, one can identify a causative event like an injury or trauma and the pain in these cases is self-limiting. The problem, however, arises when the back pain is a constant everyday complaint.
People often wake up with a back pain or a stiff back and this starts to affect their daily routines.
When is Back Pain Serious?
Most of the times, the back pain is due to a pulled muscle or an injury, the type of pain experienced in such cases is severe and excruciating. It usually goes away in a few days when the injury or the inciting event heals.
It is the dull, constant ache that one experiences day in and day out which is troublesome. Most of the times, it is due to a lumbar degenerative disease and doesn’t resolve of its own. Neglected, it may worsen over time. This is the type of back pain, which needs to be taken seriously and one needs to meet a specialist.
Daily Activities causing Back Pain
The most common causes are-
- Bad posture like slouching shoulders at work place
- Lack of physical activity
- Bad sleeping posture
Other significant contributors are
- Lifting heavy weights
- Long working hours, especially people with desk jobs
- Stress – it is a very common contributor in modern times. Stress, by releasing hormones like adrenaline and Cortisol, triggers involuntary muscle spasm and tightening leading to back pain.
Red Flags in Back Pain
Whenever back pain is associated with any of the following, it implies a serious underlying medical condition, requiring immediate consult with a doctor and at times, hospitalization-
- High grade fever
- Increasing weakness in legs
- Incontinence of bladder or bowel function
- Limb tingling or numbness
How Exercise and Lifestyle changes help
Regular light exercises like walking or jogging help improve the muscle tone and power. Additionally stretching and strengthening of back muscles and spine help improve the flexibility.
Avoiding long working hours or if unavoidable, using proper sitting and sleeping postures prevent any unnecessary spasms in the back muscles.
Mindfulness techniques like meditation help avoid stress and back pains.
One needs to be mindful of the fact that our back muscles act as a single unit from neck to lower back and trouble in one leads to trouble in the other if not taken care of. That is the reason we often find people with back pain complaining of neck pain and vice versa.
Treatment Options
Not every back pain requires a surgery. In fact, most of these patients improve with conservative therapy and interventions are rarely required.
The treatment depends upon the onset and severity of back pain. Those pains arising out of trauma or injury usually resolve once the injury heals. One may use short course of pain killers and muscle relaxants for that duration. Pain persisting beyond a few days or once the injury seems to have healed, needs to be evaluated with some physical tests and imaging like X Ray to rule out any bone pathology. It needs to be treated with rest and avoidance of any physical activity. As mentioned, red flags may require surgical interventions in a few cases.
Physical therapy in form of physiotherapy, exercises and incorporating these exercises into life style hep in treating back pain as well as its prevention in future.
Patients with chronic back pain may require some minimally invasive interventions around one or more joints around their spine or Sacro-iliac joints for long lasting pain relief.
