Our lives are full of compromises and trade-offs. Modern humans can walk upright, and many researchers have linked this ability with increased brain size. As well, this posture allows our hands to be free for carrying objects and manipulating tools, increases our height, and is less energy-intensive. Unfortunately, walking upright puts increased pressure on the spine, and this can lead to back pain. Add to that our propensity to exercise hard and neglect workout recovery, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Here’s are some tips for dealing with your back pain.
There are a few solutions for back pain. Your treatments can range from massage to chiropractors to foam rolling and stretching, as well as the possibility that you just may need to seek back pain treatment Orange Park FL. Don’t necessarily think you can heal all of your back pain yourself, expect that sometimes you may need to visit a specialist.
Is Back Pain Common?
Unfortunately, it is not unusual to experience back pain; throughout the world, it represents a leading cause of disability. As well, it is one of the most commonly-cited reasons for individuals to miss work or to make appointments with a doctor. Fortunately, back pain can be prevented in many instances, and in other cases, individuals are able to regain and maintain their functionality in a short amount of time. If self-care is not effective, people may need to contact a medical professional.
When Is a Doctor Needed?
Certain indicators of potentially serious medical problems exist. These include back pain that is accompanied by a fever, that causes new bladder problems or bowel problems, or follows another injury, such as a blow to the back, or a fall.
Other symptoms indicate that although immediate care is not required, home treatment will likely not be sufficient. Such symptoms include back pain that occurs along with unexplained loss of weight; that causes tingling, weakness, or numbness in both, or one, of the legs; that is severe and fails to improve with rest; that spreads down the legs, especially extending below the knee; that continues to be present after a few weeks.
What Are Some Risk Factors?
Adults, teenagers, and children can all develop back discomfort. There are, however, some factors that can increase the risk of its development. Having excess body weight causes extra stress to be placed on the back, and pain can result. Using an improper lifting technique, such as lifting with the back as opposed to lifting with the legs, can also lead to back pain. As well, increased rates of back pain have been found in individuals who smoke. Herniated disks can result from coughing, and smoking often prompts people to cough, sometimes quite forcefully. Certain diseases, such as cancer or arthritis, and psychological conditions, such as depression or anxiety disorder, may also contribute to back pain.
Final Thoughts
Because the experience of back pain is so widespread, much is known about the condition. Therefore, prevention can allow many people to avoid its development, and for others, simple treatment that does not involve surgery can resolve their back pain. If you have access to a personal trainer, take some time to chat with them – see if you can learn best practices for foam rolling and stretching as both preventative maintenances as well as rehabilitation.
Tags: back pain, injuries, injury, prehab, rehab, rehabilitation, spine
