It’s a widespread problem, with almost 80% of adults reporting back pain at some point in their life. It can be one-off and mild, or something that recurs frequently enough to make your life miserable. In the vast majority of cases, back pain isn’t a sign of anything worse (like cancer or arthritis). Instead, it’s a normal part of aging when the discs between your vertebrae become thinner and less able to support your spine. If you have read up on this topic before, you may know that bad posture is one of the main reasons for developing back pain. But do you know why it happens? Does it have anything to do with tight muscles? Or maybe weak ones? In this article, we explain why you have back pain and what you can do about it.
What causes back pain?
Back pain comes from any of the structures in the back. More precisely, back pain can be caused by one or more of the following: - The discs between your vertebrae (bone spurs and nerve impingement) - Muscle strains and sprains (including the muscles surrounding your spine) - Tight or inflamed ligaments in your spine - Weak core muscles and/or poor posture - Tension in your pelvic muscles and/or abdominal muscles The first three factors can cause inflammation, which can, in turn, lead to pain. Pain from faulty posture, however, is caused by too much pressure on certain parts of your body.
Tight muscles cause back pain
The muscles around the spine are often the root cause of back pain. That includes the muscles of your lower back, gluteal muscles, and abdominal muscles. The gluteal muscles are particularly important since they support your lower back and are highly susceptible to being tight. When they are tight, they can pull on the lower back, causing pain. This can result in lower back pain and pain in the buttocks and leg as well. Besides causing back pain, tight muscles also affect your posture. This can lead to rounded shoulders, creating an imbalance between the front and the back of your body. Despite the fact that tight muscles are the number one cause of back pain, people forget about them when trying to combat their pain. This is because they are not as easy to see as a bad posture. In order to combat tight muscles, you should stretch them. You can stretch your lower back by lying on your back with one knee bent and the other leg straight. Draw your knee toward your chest and let it go slowly. You can also stretch the gluteal muscles by lying on your back with one knee up and the other leg straight.
Weak muscles cause back pain
The abdominal and pelvic muscles support your lower back and keep it straight. However, if your abdominal muscles are too weak, they cannot properly support your lower back. This can lead to lower back pain. As with tight muscles, weak abdominal muscles also affect your posture. While poor posture is a visible sign of bad posture, abdominal weakness is not. In fact, abdominal weakness is often overlooked by people who are suffering from back pain. To combat abdominal weakness, you need to do core exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles.
When is it a problem with your posture?
Poor posture is often the cause of back pain in the lower back. Bad posture means that your spinal column is not held in the correct position. This can put pressure on the discs between your vertebrae and cause inflammation and pain. Bad posture is quite common in today’s society, especially among people who work at computers. People with bad posture have a greater risk of developing back pain. To correct your posture, first you need to identify the problem. If you notice that your shoulders are slouched or that you have a forward head carriage, you need to correct your posture. You can do this by finding a good posture and holding it as you go through your day.
Which exercises can help relieve your back pain?
In addition to stretching, there are other exercises that can help reduce your back pain. Exercises to strengthen your core muscles will also help lift your posture. Exercises to strengthen your gluteal muscles can help reduce lower back pain. Exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles can help support your lower back and lift your posture. There are also exercises that can help with both lower back pain and abdominal weakness. Yoga is one example of an exercise that can help with both of these. Squats, planks, and dynamic stretching are other great exercises for strengthening the lower back and core muscles. These exercises are particularly helpful for older people who are more prone to back pain. It’s important to do these exercises correctly in order to get the most benefit. For example, when doing squats, make sure you go all the way down to the floor in order to work the muscles properly.
Conclusion
Back pain is a frequent problem, with almost 80% of adults reporting back pain at some point in their life. It can be one-off and mild, or something that recurs frequently enough to make your life miserable. In the vast majority of cases, back pain isn’t a sign of anything worse (like cancer or arthritis). Instead, it’s a normal part of aging when the discs between your vertebrae become thinner and less able to support your spine. There are things that can be done to prevent or reduce back pain. Good posture, stretching, and core exercises can help prevent back pain. If you feel that you have a back pain issue, make sure you see a physical therapist for a proper diagnosis and treatment.
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