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Millions of people suffer from chronic back pain. In fact, it’s the leading cause of disability among young Americans.
Back pain doesn’t just happen; it’s usually triggered by certain things such as lifting heavy items, poor posture, extra weight, smoking, bad diet and fatigue.
Overworking Your Back Muscles
Why does your back hurt after a busy day or an intense workout? It’s because your back muscles experience normal wear and tear and need rest between activities to heal. Inadequate rest causes tightness and soreness. Overuse of the back muscles will put pressure on the spine and sciatic nerve, causing back pain.
The best cure for this type of back pain is sleep and relaxation. Deep breathing is another technique some people find helpful.
Sitting All Day
Sitting is actually much worse for your back than standing. When you sit in one position for a long time and push your shoulders forward, your muscles get used to being in that position and tighten up. It also puts a lot of pressure on your spine and discs, which makes the pain worse. This is why many office workers and drivers suffer from chronic back pain.
The best way to counter the effects of sitting for long periods of time is to get up and walk around every thirty minutes. Stretching your Achilles, calves, hamstrings, and glutes also helps. Remember, use proper back support and try to train yourself not to slouch when sitting.
Extra Weight
Being overweight puts a lot of pressure on your back, which can alter your spine’s natural curve and cause back pain. As you might’ve guessed, the only way to relieve this kind of pressure is to maintain a healthy weight through lifestyle changes.
Eating “Dirty”
Eating unhealthy food can trigger gastrointestinal issues and inflammation in the body. Researchers have found a connection between abdominal issues and food intolerances, and back pain.
Moreover, your body needs water to keep your spine healthy. Therefore, if you are dehydrated and not drinking enough water, your spinal disks can flatten, triggering back pain.
Skipping Ab Day
A strong core can keep back pain at bay. Weak abs make your back work harder and strain your spine. You can strengthen your core and train yourself to keep your core tight at all times with ab exercises.
While it’s sometimes easy to figure out the cause of your back pain, you should still speak to your doctor about it. This is because back pain can be a sign of a serious condition, especially when it is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever, weight loss or incontinence.
