Are you suffering from back pain? Well, you are not alone. In fact, back pain is one of the most common causes of missed work and a leading cause of disability, worldwide. Fortunately, you can take preventive measures to relieve most back pain episodes and to reduce the risk of injury, preventing its recurrence.

What are the Symptoms?

Most people experience back pain at some point in their lives and the signs and symptoms can range in intensity from mild to severe. Common signs and symptoms of back pain include:

• Muscle ache
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Pain that radiates down your leg
• Pain that worsens with bending, lifting, standing or walking
• Pain that improves with reclining

What are the Causes?

Back pain that occurs suddenly and lasts no more than six weeks (acute) can be caused by a fall or heavy lifting. Back pain that lasts more than three months (chronic) is less common than acute pain. Conditions commonly linked to back pain include:

• Muscle or ligament strain
• Bulging or ruptured disks
• Injuries to ligaments, muscles & tendons
• Skeletal irregularities
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Accidents & injuries
• Pregnancy
• Tumors
• Lifestyle triggers, such as slouching at your desk, lifting heavy objects, being overweight, not exercising, smoking and wearing high heels

What are the Risk Factors?

Anyone can develop back pain, including children and teens. Below-mentioned are the common factors that might put you at greater risk of developing back pain:

• Aging
• Lack of exercise
• Excess weight
• Diseases
• Improper lifting
• Psychological conditions

How to Prevent Back Pain?

There are many things you can do to reduce back pain or prevent its recurrence by improving your physical condition. Consider these factors to prevent back pain:

1. Exercise
2. Posture
3. Body weight
4. Food
5. Footwear
6. Smoking

 
1. Exercise

Doing regular exercise (staying physically active) is one of the best things you can do for yourself, whether you have health problems or are healthy and want to stay that way. A regular exercise program can have many benefits, such as easing pain and stiffness, strengthening muscles and bones, burning calories, improving flexibility, increasing energy, improving sleep, boosting mood, increasing the sense of well-being, and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and also certain cancers.

If you have severe back pain and you can hardly imagine exercising, speak to your orthopedic specialist or physical therapist about exercises that might be appropriate for you.

2. Posture

It is crucial in preventing back pain to know the right way to sit, stand, walk and lift things. Poor habits such as slouching in a chair, standing with a flat back, leaning on one leg, poking your chin, cradling your phone, etc. can put tension on the spine, leading to the development of back pain.

To maintain proper posture, you need to have adequate muscle flexibility and strength, normal joint motion in the spine and other body regions, as well as efficient postural muscles that are balanced on both sides of the spine. In addition, you must recognize your postural habits at home and in the workplace and work to correct them, if necessary.

3. Body Weight

Excess amount of body weight shifts your centr of gravity forward, creating added stress on your lower back. Maintaining a healthy weight, or losing it if you are overweight, can reduce your risk of back pain.

Also, managing weight through nutrition, diet and exercise not only reduces existing back pain, but also help prevent certain types of back problems in the future. For example, overweight and obese people have an increased risk for Osteoarthritis. The additional strain on the joints from the excess weight can cause Arthritis in people whose Body Mass Index (BMI) is too high.

4. Food

Getting enough calcium and vitamin can help keep your bones strong and reduce your risk of Osteoporosis, which can lead to painful and sometimes debilitating fractures of the vertebrae – the individual, interlocking bones that form the spinal column.

• Calcium: If you are between the ages of 19 and 50, you need 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day. If you are 51 or older, you need 1,200 mg daily.  If you already have osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend that you get more calcium. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, canned salmon with bones and green leafy vegetables. If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, speak to your doctor about a calcium supplement.

• Vitamin D: Vitamin D is important for your spine because it helps your body use the calcium you get from foods to make bones stronger. Your body makes vitamin D in response to sunlight on your skin. If you spend little time outdoors or wear a strong sunscreen when you go out, you may need more Vitamin D than your body makes. Food sources of vitamin D include egg yolks and grain products. You may also want to ask your doctor if you need a vitamin D supplement.

5. Footwear

Sometimes preventing or easing back pain is as simple as wearing the right pair of footwear, particularly if you spend a lot of time standing or walking. Shoes with high heels and uneven wear can abstract your posture, resulting in unnecessary stress on your back.

For example, high heels can throw off alignment and add extra stress and strain on the lower back. Flip flops, at the other extreme, are so flat that the lack of support can lead to hip, knee and back pain.

6. Smoking

Nicotine in tobacco restricts blood flow to the disks that cushion your vertebrae and increases the rate of degeneration. This loss of cushioning can cause back pain. Smoking also reduces calcium absorption and prevents new bone growth, leaving smokers with an increased risk for Osteoporosis (brittle, fragile bones) and slower healing after bone fractures, which can cause back pain.

Additionally, if you a need back surgery, smoking can interfere with healing. Spinal surgeries performed in smokers are significantly more likely to fail than the same surgery in nonsmokers.

Remember, any back pain that occurs more than once from no specific cause is a reason to consult a doctor. If you are experiencing occasional episodes of acute back pain, consult an Orthopedic Surgeon for proper diagnosis and treatment.