How to Get Rid of Back Pain

When it comes to back pain, 8 in 10 adults experience it at least once in their lifetime, but usually, if you’ve experienced it once, it’s a reoccurring problem. If you’re one of those people, you’re probably having difficulties with the simplest of things, like putting on socks in the morning.

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“When you elevate the heels more so than you elevate the sole of the foot, you trigger a cascade of compensations in the knees and hips that cause tight hip flexors, and then those hip flexors cause lower-back pain.”

Most people who suffer from back pain don’t even know what causes it.

It all started with our evolution

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When people evolved and started to walk on two legs, our spines evolved as well. Before that, a spine had four supporting pillars, and now it has two. The spine is actually held up by supporting muscles, and when without them it could only bear up to 5 pounds. This is why the back is the weakest part of the human body. However, with well-developed torso muscles, the spine can hold up to 2000 pounds.

Sitting isn’t as good for you as you think

Sitting can do a lot of damage to your back if it’s not done properly. Most people who experience back pain spend most of their workdays sitting. Even though most people think that sitting should reduce the stress on your back, it’s actually the opposite. It puts a lot of pressure on your spinal cord. 

The joints in your spine are not linked to the blood supply, but they get the necessary nutrients through a process called diffusion. This process works because of constantly moving molecules that are fighting to get enough space, and something they depend on is pressure. Therefore, when there is pressure difference during improper sitting, the diffusion process does not work properly, leading to back pain.

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What exactly is the proper way to sit?

According to recent science, there isn’t only one right way to sit. Your back can be straight; you can lay back in your chair, or cross your legs if you find that more comfortable—whatever works for you. However, the best thing to do is to change your sitting position once in awhile to minimize the pressure you exert on different parts of your spine.

Stand up more

Standing is much better for your back than sitting because the pressure on your spine is minimal. However, most people have to work at desks for eight or more hours a day, and that can be stressful for your back. If this is the case with you, make sure to take short breaks every hour or so and spend about 2 or 3 minutes standing and walking. Another way to can solve this problem is by getting a standing desk. If you don’t think you can spend your entire workday standing, you can get an adjustable standing desk and change its height according to how you please. That way, you can choose when to sit and when to stand. 

Find the right exercise for your back pain

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The human body is designed in such a way that it requires movement to function properly. When you’re active, your bones, joints, and muscles strengthen. Also, if you rest for too long, they start to deteriorate. Therefore, you need enough activity to keep your body healthy, but not too much to the extent of overworking it. 

If you’re looking for an exercise that helps with your back pain, avoid lifting weights, running on treadmills, and even sit-ups; these can cause a lot of back muscle pain. Instead, focus on cardiovascular training. You can always find the type an exercise you need online. Otherwise, you can hire a personal trainer to help you. Only stretch if you have tight muscles. If you already have flexible muscles, stretching is useless and doesn’t make any sense.

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Where to start

The best way to improve your bad habits is to be aware of them. Notice the position your back is in while you’re sitting, standing and walking and try to keep it straight as much as possible. This won’t come overnight, so be patient and practice. If you need to carry a heavy object, do so with both of your hands and keep the object in the middle of your body to avoid too much pressure on one side only.