Sneaky every day causes of back pain you never knew about! 

Back pain - it’s painful, it’s irritating, and invades every portion of your life, from work to family life. And you’re not alone. Back pain is one of the most common complaints patient have. So why is this so prevalent? Besides the more obvious reasons, for example people who have had motor vehicle accidents or injuries, why is it so common? Could there be something that you do every day that contributes to your back pain? Maybe something you do without even realizing it? You’d be surprised at how much your every day habits and lifestyle factors can contribute. 

1. A Weak Core. 

As counterintuitive as it seems, having strong abdominal muscles is essential to having a strong back. Not only does it help keep your body in a good ergo dynamic position, but it also stops you from putting additional strain on your lower back muscles. When was the last time you did some sit ups or practiced a plank position? Time to break out the yoga mat.

2. Posture 

We’ve heard it all before. Straighten up, push your shoulders back, don’t slouch.  It’s called proper body ergodynammics. But how many of us are actually aware of our body positions throughout the day? Your neck and back do not like to be in any prolonged position, whether that’s sitting at a desk, in a movie theater, or even in a long car ride. The stress and damage caused to the muscles from prolonged positioning is a common reason for chronic back pain. 

3. Smoking. 

Everyone knows smoking causes cancer, but no one seems to realize how many medical studies have linked to smoking to pain. Not only can smoking cause physical damage to the structures of the spine, but there’s also evidence that people who smoke feel pain more acutely than people who don’t smoke. Think of this is yet another reason to quit smoking.

4. The load on your back. 

Recently there’s been a lot in the news about the spike in children’s back pain and the possible link to the ever-heavier backpacks kids seem to be wearing these days. What’s strange about that is that even though we recognize that caring heavy loads is bad for kids, we rarely apply that concept to ourselves. As a physician, I can’t tell you how many large and heavy handbags I see my female patients bring into the office.   Usually when I comment on it, the response is “Oh, I’m used to it!” You might be mentally used to lugging around a large and heavy handbag every day, but that repetitive stress on your shoulder muscles and lower back muscles adds up.