Frustrated With Back Pain? Reasons Why You Have It And What You Can Do About It
According to the American Chiropractic Association, 31 million Americans have experienced low-back pain at one point in their life. If one of these people is you, there are many reasons why you may be suffering from this problem. Below are three of these reasons, as well as things you can do about it.
Causes of Low Back Pain
You likely know that having a sedentary lifestyle or a back injury can cause back pain, but there are also other reasons including:
Mechanics
You may have a mechanical problem, which is the way you move your spine. One type of mechanical problem is intervertebral disc degeneration. This disc is located between the vertebra of your spine. It breaks down with age. As this happens, it cannot cushion as well, which leads to pain.
Another cause of mechanical back pain is facet joints wearing down. These joints connect your vertebra together and are very large. Other mechanical problems include a ruptured disc, muscle tension, and back spasms.
Ankylosing Spondylitis
This is a type of arthritis that is found mostly in the spine. You could have pain starting at your neck down to your back. It generally affects the lower back region. This happens because the bones in your spine fuse or grow together. You may have to stoop over to reduce the pain. Getting treated early can prevent deformity.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis causes your bones to thin, which can cause fractures, including in the back area. A doctor can prescribe medication to help, as well as tell you of vitamins you can take to help strengthen your bones.
If you feel back pain that does not go away, see a doctor, like those at Allegheny Brain And Spine Surgeons, to make sure you do not have any of these conditions.
What You Can Do About It
Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to help with back pain.
Yoga may work well for you, and it can also tone up your body. The stretching poses that you will do can strengthen the back muscles to make them less susceptible to pain.
You could also try Pilates. This type of exercise can make the muscles in your back stronger.
You can take classes to do these exercises, or you could purchase a DVD to teach you the proper poses and movements.
Back pain can be hard to live with, but if you follow these tips you should feel better.
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