Most of us don’t appreciate how good we have it when we’re young. As children and young adults, most people are free of a terrible thing that takes shape as we grow older: back pain. Back pain is incredibly common, says one New York City chiropractor, and there’s rarely a “silver bullet” solution that will free a person of it completely. However, there are some clear causes of back pain, and addressing those root causes can go a long way toward helping you rid yourself of chronic back pain.
So read on, and try to figure out why your back hurts. Be sure to visit a chiropractor for a professional opinion, too. No online article is a substitute for help from an expert. Hopefully, changing your lifestyle and seeking professional help will ease your back pain. Here’s why your back might be hurting.
You’re overweight
Most of us could probably stand to lose a few pounds. Far too many Americans are overweight or obese, and that has serious consequences. The overweight population is more susceptible to all sorts of health problems — including, as it turns out, back pain. If you’re asking your spine (and, for that matter, the rest of your bones and muscles) to support too much, that’s going to cause issues.
Dieting may help you with your back pain. If you’re extremely overweight, you may want to consider more immediate options, such as gastric sleeve surgery. For more information, see your doctor and ask about your options for losing weight.
Your posture stinks
Did your mother ever tell you to sit up straight? Well, she was right. Sitting and standing properly won’t just make you look better and more attentive. They’ll also help out your spine. It’s not just that good posture helps your back, by the way. It’s also that poor posture will actively hurt your back by putting too much pressure on certain parts of it. Please, for your sake and that of your chiropractor, don’t put your back through that. Learn to sit and stand properly, and perform regular posture checks when you’re working or otherwise occupied for long periods of time in the same space. You could consider using a standing desk, too. Sitting for hours on end is not very good for you.
You overexerted yourself
Your back is more than just a spine, of course. Muscles are in there, too, and they are often what’s hurting you. One way to injure the muscles in your back is to abuse them. You might use them too aggressively, too often, or improperly!
Be careful when you’re working out or engaged in sports activities. Be particularly wary when you’re dealing with activities that put a lot of stress on your back — or which could put a lot of stress on your back if done improperly. Lifting heavy weights, for instance, can lead to your throwing out your back.
You have an issue with your spine
Sometimes, we end up with back pain that nothing in our lifestyle caused. It’s perfectly possible for your spine to get hurt without your lifting weights, slouching in your chair, or packing on the pounds. You may have a spinal fracture (yes, you can “break your back” without realizing it right away). You could also have osteoarthritis.
These aren’t things that you can diagnose yourself, so head to a doctor’s office or a chiropractic practice. There, you can get a diagnosis and advice from someone who really understands how all of this works. When in doubt, always turn to the experts.