Posted by Maria Dimitrova

Read this if: You are suffering from back pain or you want to prevent it

Gain: Knowledge that will save your health

Cost: Appointment fees for Egoscue method treatment via webcam are $250 per session or $1495 for a package of 8 sessions

Back pain is one of the most common health complaints. Statistics show that around 70-85% of people have back pain at some point in their lives.  Maybe you have a parent, a sibling, a friend or a colleague who’s suffered or is still suffering from this condition.

You see how visibly unpleasant it is, but feeling it yourself is a different ball game. In moments of severe pain we all promise ourselves do whatever it takes to prevent it from happening again. However once the pain subsides bad habits and lifestyle return quickly.

I experienced back pain for the first time when I started spending much longer than usual in front of the computer sitting on an ordinary kitchen chair. My back wasn’t supported properly and my back muscles started to feel stiff.

At first, I tried to compensate with stretching exercises and placing a pillow behind my back but it turned out it wasn’t enough. Nothing could compensate for the unsuitable chair and I learnt this lesson the hard way when one day I felt acute pain in my neck and the middle section of my back. I went shopping for a proper office chair immediately and visited my masseuse to release the tension in my back and neck muscles. Fortunately, I haven’t had such problems since then.

Another common reason for back pain is the physical work of repeated bending and twisting of the back or lifting of heavy objects. One of my friends spent a summer vacation in Alaska working in a fish factory. He had to lift heavy blocks of ice with frozen fish and smash them over a table covered with sharp spikes. I’m not sure what caused the back trauma – the excessive weight of the blocks or the way he lifted them but he developed such a severe pain that he had to spend a week in bed. Since then, he has suffered from back pain every time he puts some pressure on his back.

This is one of the things to be considered when not being cautious with your back – once you get a trauma, it may become a weak point and the awful pain can be caused by a minor activity in the future.

What might bring this pain into your life?

Risk factors of back pain

• Age. The first attack of low back pain typically occurs in people between the ages of 30 and 40. Bear in mind that back pain tends to become more common with age.
• Fitness level. People who are not physically fit are more likely to suffer from it because they may have weak backs and weak abdominal muscles not properly supporting the spine. People who go out and exercise a lot after being inactive all week are more likely to suffer from painful back injuries than people who make moderate physical activity a daily habit. Also, the incorrectly performed exercise can lead to dangerous back traumas.
• Healthy eating. A diet that is high in calories and fat, combined with an inactive lifestyle, can lead to obesity. Obesity can put stress on the back, thus causing back pain.
• Heredity. If there are cases of back pain in your family you need to be even more careful since studies show that disc disease may have a genetic component.
• Other diseases. Many diseases can cause or contribute to back pain, including various forms of arthritis, such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis, and cancers elsewhere in the body that may spread to the spine.
• Occupational risk factor. As the two examples above show, having a job that requires heavy lifting, pushing, or pulling, twisting or vibrating the spine can lead to injury and back pain as well as having an inactive job or a desk job especially if you have poor posture or sit all day in an uncomfortable chair.
• Stress. Although back pain causes are usually physical, it is important to note that emotional stress can play a role in the intensity and duration of back pain. One of the effects of stress is tense and painful back and neck muscles.
• Cigarette Smoking. It may lead to pain by blocking your body’s ability to deliver nutrients to the discs of the lower back. Furthermore, repeated coughing due to heavy smoking may cause back pain.

If the back pain is caused by a simple muscle or tendon strain, or a sprained ligament, perhaps from lifting something that is heavy, turning awkwardly or just overusing the back muscles, it is likely to get better in a couple of weeks. If the back pain does not get better after a couple of weeks, or if it begins to gets worse, it is important to see a doctor. Prompt treatment, which may involve rest, heat or cold treatment, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, surgery, physiotherapy or retraining, could prevent back pain from becoming long term.

Alternative treatments that have proved efficient in some cases of back pain include: acupuncture (inserting and then stimulating needles may foster the production of the body’s natural pain-numbing chemicals, such as endorphins, serotonin, and acetylcholine) and acupressure (a therapist applies pressure to points along the channels with his or her hands, elbows, or even feet).

Obviously prevention is better than cure but when pain does occur, find a way to tame the spasm before it develops.  Learn how to prevent back pain without drugs, surgery or manipulation by taking the following measures in advance:

Prevention and alleviation of back pain

• Choose the right office chair and the right posture at work. It should provide good lumbar (lower back) support. Your bottom should be pressed against the back of your chair, and there should be a cushion that causes your lower back to arch slightly so that you don’t slump forward or slouch down in the chair as you tire over time. This low back support in the office chair is essential to minimize the load (strain) on your back.

An important feature of the office chair is the armrest. Adjust the armrest of the office chair so that it just slightly lifts your arms at the shoulders. Use of an armrest on your office chair is important to take some of the strain off your neck and shoulders, and it should make you less likely to slouch forward in your chair.

Padded neck rests are also important to prevent tension in the neck muscles.

Make sure your chair is properly positioned so your elbows are at a 90 degree angle on the desk and your eyes are parallel with the computer screen. You may need to elevate your screen.

Opinions of office chairs’ users:

“I work from home, and until recently it was a nightmare. Hours spent each day, in the same position, was causing my back to throb and ache. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. I was either going to have to find another line of work (not a great time to do that is it?) or find something that would give me some relief!

I have a weekly P/T session, and I asked my therapist what she might suggest. We went over my daily schedule, my sleeping conditions, etc… Apparently, my bed was not the problem (thought it was…) It was my office chair! I guess the chair was pressing on certain areas of my back, and after a couple of hours, it was making my nerves freak out! A chair, seriously???

So, again with my therapist’s help – research began to find the perfect chair. I tried out several, and have found the answer to my problems. I am not sure of the manufacturer, but it’s called the Mid-Back Ergonomic Task Chair. I highly recommend this chair to my fellow back achers. It honestly has changed my life…and saved my career”

“For the past 7 years, I work from home all the time and I have comfortable chair. But I have to stress, no matter what setup you have, how your computer is arranged, where the mouse and keyboard are positioned, nothing takes the place in getting up and moving around every 45 minutes

Now, what I have found to be the best office chair, believe or not its those big Green Exercise balls. I sit in front of my computer, it forces better posture and moving around is so easy. But like I said Nothing is better than getting up and moving around every 45 minutes”

When choosing an office chair, make sure that you spend as long as possible trying the chairs in the shop. Your comfort should be the main criterion not the fashionable design, a discounted price or some other kind of marketing strategy however attractive it may be.

• Choose the right mattress. Your personal preference should ultimately determine what mattress is best.

Many people think that a firm mattress is better for the back. I also had the same notion and that’s why I made the mistake of buying an “orthopedic” one without checking properly how comfortable it was. I regretted my decision later as I couldn’t sleep well and I woke up with stiff back muscles. Now I am sleeping on a softer mattress considered “anatomic” rather than “orthopedic” and I feel much better.

While there is not much clinical data about mattresses, one study found that medium-firm mattresses usually provide more back pain relief than firm mattresses.

When shopping at the store, you should lie on the mattress for several minutes to decide if it is a good fit. If two people will be sleeping on the mattress, both of you should test it at the same time to make sure you have enough space and are both comfortable on the same style of mattress.

Try to find a store where customers can return a mattress if they are not satisfied with the quality or comfort after sleeping on it for a significant amount of time (i.e. a couple of weeks to a month).

Back pain relieve can be obtained by sleeping in certain positions like the ones shown in the picture.

• Choose the right shoes. High heels make women’s legs look sexier and more elegant but however you adore them, consider the effects of wearing them before buying the next pair of “shoe –jewels”. The consultant podiatric surgeon Mike O’Neill, spokesman for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, says: ‘High heels make you raise your heel and as soon as you do that your centre of gravity is pushed forward. What happens then is you bend your lower back to compensate for this and that changes the position of your spine, putting pressure on nerves in the back.’ Apart from back pain, there are numerous other ways high heels affect your body: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1053601/High-heel-horrors-The-hidden-cost-body-crucial-extra-inches.html#ixzz1X3lpVJQR

Just a few days ago I learnt that a friend’s mother had foot surgery because of the inflammation of the base joint of the big toe she got from long-term wearing of narrow high heels.

• Maintain a healthy weight and providing your body with the necessary nutrients. In order to have healthy bones and muscles, you need to “feed” them with the necessary nutrients – vitamins and minerals, proteins, good quality fats and carbohydrates derived mainly from natural products like fruits and nuts, not cakes and ice-cream. Calcium is an important mineral for bones and vitamin D helps maintain calcium levels in the bones. You need to ensure you get enough of both.
• Massage. It’s a source of pleasure but also – health. A study on massage and back pain conducted at the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami in 2001 found that: “Massage lessened lower back pain, depression and anxiety, and improved sleep. The massage therapy group also showed improved range of motion and their serotonin and dopamine levels were higher.” (International Journal of Neuroscience, 106, 131-145.)
• Good exercises and sports.

Tai Chi is known for its benefits of improving posture and relieving stress which are both common causes of back pain and back discomfort. If you have had a back problem for many years, the chances are your posture will have suffered because you’ve been holding your body in a way that discourages proper posture. Tai Chi will gently allow you to find the correct posture for your frame and will help tone the muscles needed to achieve this. It is also very good for helping you to balance more effectively which may help prevent further injury in the future.

Stretching. It can improve the extension of muscles and other soft tissues of the back. This can reduce back stiffness and improve range of motion. Moreover, stretching improves the blood circulation which “feeds” the bones and tissues with nutrients.

Low-impact aerobic exercise is particularly good for people prone to back pain as it lowers the risk of ‘jarring’ the spine, and there is a smaller risk of lower back injury. A strong and well-toned body will create a stable and strong spine and spinal structures.

Step-machines are a good alternative to walking if you need something with less impact. Step-machines work on a gliding principle taking away the jolt from walking on hard ground.

Aqua aerobics is perfect for people with chronic back pain due to the weightlessness and resistance caused by the water. It also raises endorphin levels which helps decrease stress in participants.

Running should be done only if it does not make the back pain any worse. If running makes the pain worse, it’s important to continue with exercise to keep the back as flexible as possible, but it would be better to switch to another, lower impact form of exercise until the pain is better. Bear in mind that it’s recommended to run on softer surfaces like grass and artificial surfaces made especially for jogging. The training shoes should also be appropriate for this activity to minimize the jarring of the joints.

• Exercises to avoid.

Golf. A hefty golf-swing can strain muscles and cause further ligament damage by stretching the structures out of their normal range.

Cycling. It is a good sport for keeping fit, but with the presence of a back complaint, regular breaks should be taken so the position of the body can be altered to avoid stiffness. A comfortable saddle will help to avoid making lower back and sacral back pain worse. Avoid rough terrain to lessen the risk of a fall.

Swimming. The technical element should be considered here. It might be good for helping with the symptoms of back pain as long as any strokes that encourage the twisting of the head or upper body are avoided.

Abdominal crunches. They can promote poor posture and cause breathing to become labored. Leg stretches can put unnecessary pressure on the lower back while sit-ups with straight legs can cause strains and sprains in the lower back and should definitely be avoided.

In general, for people suffering from back pain, any type of exercise that involves twisting, turning, lifting or impact can be a potential problem.

• The Egoscue method. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, The Egoscue Method offers clients a postural correction service through the use of personalized exercise routines, providing pain relief in the way of neck, hip and back pain relief. It is used by professional athletes, corporations looking to reduce their incident rates, and the public at large in over 85 countries worldwide.