The Evolution of Back Pain:
Back pain, medically known as Lumbago, is an extremely common condition. It is the second most common source of pain after headache. It is so common that it affects 80% of the population. Everyone has had an aching back at sometime or the other in their lives. The rise in backache cases is mostly due to the changing lifestyle. The sedentary lifestyles we adopt give us little room for being active, which in turn takes a toll on our health.
Many people ignore the back pain making excuses of getting medical aid later, but it may worsen it. Back pain is not a severe condition provided it is taken care of early.
- Nearly 90% of backache has no specific cause. In such cases, pain usually subsides even without treatment in 4-6 weeks time.
- Only a small fraction of people has underlying disorders causing backache.
- Most cases of back pain occur because we adopt an incorrect posture when we sleep, work or play and hence can be easily prevented by posture adjustment.
- Backache occurs after lifting, pushing or pulling unusually heavy weights. Here pain is due to the excessive strain the back has to undergo in executing such an action. Avoid such activities as a preventive measure.
If a person has backache for the first time, it is most probably due to excessive strain on the back while doing activities like lifting or bending. This is not serious and subsides with rest and pain killers. However if the pain becomes recurrent and interferes with the daily activities, it certainly needs a doctor. People should not wait for the problem to become serious in order to treat it.
Chronic Back Pain:
Backache becomes chronic when it occurs in frequent episodes that interfere with the comfort level of the person. In severe cases, it may hamper the activities of daily life. Initially if chronic pain is ignored, it makes itself noticed by becoming severe. The most common cause of back pain is a faulty posture. There are correct postures for all the activities. Maintaining correct postures during activities does not put excessive strain on the back. For example, people sitting in front of television or computers for the whole day experience chronic backache much more than a physically active person.
Posture:
Posture refers to the way the body is carried. In other words, it is the correct alignment of the body while moving or doing any activity. An incorrect posture may pull a muscle unnaturally. This strain to the muscle may occur during bending, lifting or even sleeping. Bad posture is the commonest cause of back pain.
To get and maintain a healthy back, it is important to know the components of the back and how it works.
| The Evolution of Back Pain | ||
| The Anatomy of the Back | ||
| Recent Revelations In Back Pain Therapy |
| Spine Universe | Medline Plus | Web MD |
| Wikipedia:Back Pain | FamilyDoctor.org | NINDS |
| Back Pain Expert | About.com | Back Pain Expert |
| BBC | FDA | Spine Health |