19 Mar 2011 Back to the basics

by Karl Lenser

Based on the latest statistics, nearly eight out of every 10 individuals will experience an episode of low back pain. Many who are reading this article probably have had at least one incident of a “back attack.” I hope this article will help you understand the causes of back pain and what you can do to reduce your chances of having back problems.

Causes of back pain can originate from many areas including poor posture, obesity, faulty body mechanics, accidents, stress, smoking, performing contraindicated exercises and a genetic predisposition. As is the case with cardiovascular disease, your lifestyle is a major player in maintaining a healthy low back.

Your spinal column is designed so that you can move in several planes of movement. Flexion, extension, side-bending and rotation are all managed by a healthy spinal column and the musculature and nervous system that support the spine. If your musculature is not in balance or your spine is out-of alignment, the odds go up as far as developing a back injury.

For example, if your back muscles are quite strong, but your abdominal muscles are weak, you have a muscular imbalance, and this alone may lead to a problem. If an individual has this type of imbalance and is obese and highly stressed, then the risk becomes even greater for back complications. The more risk factors that you have, the greater the chances of developing back problems.

Your back is impacted every minute that you are awake and asleep. What typically happens is that after many years of mistreating one’s back (poor posture, improper lifting, sleeping on a soft mattress, being overweight, etc.), the back rebels against this “abuse” and responds with a nerve, muscle or disc injury. The little things done to your back on a daily basis add up over time until the back can’t take it any longer.

Here are 12 tips on reducing the risk for a back attack:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight. Excessive weight places a larger strain on your spine.

2. Work on keeping your abdominal and low back muscles strong.

3. Work on increasing the flexibility of your hamstring and hip flexor muscles. Tight hamstrings and hip flexors increase the risk for back problems.

4. When lifting heavy objects from the floor, squat down or kneel. Keep the object close to your body while lifting it. Focus on using your leg muscles, not your back muscles. Tighten your abdominal muscles and try to keep your back fairly straight during the lift. Exhale as you lift the object.

5. Sleep on a firm mattress. On your side is ideal for back care.

6. It is always best to kneel when performing any activities that require you to get on the ground (like gardening and bagging up leaves). Kneeling is much safer than bending over as it decreases the load on your lumbar region.

7. If you have a job that requires a lot of sitting, take frequent walking breaks. Find ways to get out of the chair and walk.

8. At the grocery store, if you have two bags of groceries, disperse the weight evenly between the two bags so you are not overloading one side of your torso.

9. Exercise, exercise, exercise. This includes cardio, strength and flexibility work.

10. Manage your stress and get seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

11. For women only: Very high-heeled shoes shift the back into a swayback position. Use the “function vs. fashion” model and stick to low-heeled shoes whenever possible.

12. Avoid twisting movements as they place additional torque on the muscles and spine.