Low Back PainBack Pain and Chronic Back Pain can have many different causes. Often, by the time it becomes a chronic pain issue, the event that caused the original injury is long forgotten and may no longer be the primary pain issue. The longer you are in pain the more your body will change it's posture and pattern of moving to compensate for lack of mobility and to guard against the pain. This results in pain patterns that develop in other areas of the body as well. Sometimes there may not even be a painful event or injury in order to develop back pain. It can develop as a result of repetitive movements, sitting posture, work station posture, sleeping position, and other unconscious daily habits we get into. There are lifestyle changes you can make to help deal with your back pain and most importantly, prevent it. 1. Sitting for long periods of time: This one is a silent "killer". When you sit for long periods of time without getting up and moving around, you are shortening your psoas muscle. This muscle plays a major roll in the health of your back. When the psoas muscle shortens, it forces a rounding in the back and compression in the spine (notice that the psoas muscle is on the front of your body). Often times, an overly contracted psoas muscle will present pain in the low back because the back muscles are trying so hard to work to put back the natural lumbar curve in the spine. The rounding of the lower back creates a chain reaction in the spine making the whole body rounded and hunched forward. Look out with this one…the low back pain will then result in upper back, shoulder, and neck pain if not addressed.
2. Crossing your legs: When you sit with your legs crossed, you are creating an uneven muscle tension pattern in your back and too much pressure on one side of the Sacro Illiac Joint. This can result in low back pain and sciatica. Sit with both feet on the floor. 3. Standing in one position for long periods of time: If you are on your feet all day without taking time to sit for a few moments or stretch, your hamstrings are taking a beating and getting shorter. This will result in a tension pattern of the hamstrings pulling on the pelvis and then…low back pain. Every 30 minutes sit down for 1 minute, do a forward bend, a gentle back bend, and a seated spinal twist. 4. Carrying a child, groceries, heavy bag or backpack, computer bag on one side: This will also create a muscle tension pattern on one side of the back resulting in low back pain. Alternate sides you carry your child on, wear your backpack over both shoulders. 5. Sleeping on your side or stomach: It can take a while and several pillows to prop you up, but please work on training yourself to sleep on your back. This can take a while to get used to but prop yourself up with several pillows to help you stay on your back while you sleep. It took me several months to become a back sleeper, but it was worth it! 6. High Heel Shoes: Even though they can make the outfit look nice…please limit your time in high heeled shoes. These are a low back killer! They cause an unnatural posture, throw your weight forward into the balls of your feet, and shorten your hamstrings. Bring a pair of sneakers or another pair of flat shoes with you to change out of or into, so you won't be stuck with wearing heels all day. Do your best to get rid of these lifestyle habits that contribute to back pain, low back pain, and eventually chronic pain. If you are already experiencing back pain or feel the beginning of a "twinge" in your back, there is hope! Make an appointment today for some Bowenwork to help the body begin to heal and stay tuned for some at home and work stretches you can do in the mean time. Chronic Pain Page |
