Back pain: what causes it and how to avoid it

Our chores, our daily chores, have a direct impact on our health . Work, children, daily exercise … These are tasks that keep us active, in continuous movement and with a busy mind, but at the same time, if we do not take the necessary care, they can translate into muscle discomfort or back pain. Precisely, on the latter it is important to emphasize: leading a healthy lifestyle, avoiding stress and managing our daily effort will be key to avoiding occasional ailments in areas such as the back .

In this regard, we must answer the question: what is the pain? We are talking about pain or discomfort that is usually mild and occasional and that can affect both men and women. Moreover, according to official data, about 80% of human beings suffer from these pains at some time during their lives. Back pain also has negative consequences for daily life: difficulty moving normally, impediments to fulfill tasks in certain jobs and even a setback to carry out routine day-to-day tasks.

How to treat back pain?

At this point, what options are there to treat back pain and alleviate the discomfort? If the pain is mild or occasional, you can choose to take a minor pain reliever that does not require a prescription such as Ibuprofen, or Ibuprofen-arginine which is faster and acts directly on these occasional pains, relieving the pain commonly associated with problems such as low back pain.

What are the habits that cause back pain?

The routine and customs that mark the day to day can have harmful effects that, sometimes, we may not perceive. We talk about work, family obligations, sports or even bad posture in seats or on the sofa. To better identify them, we are going to detail the most common ones to prevent back pain in everyday moments .

Too much intensity in physical activity

Performing daily exercise is always recommended to strengthen our health and benefit mental and emotional stability. Sport is synonymous with health, but always within a framework of prudence. There are cases of people who come from a sedentary stage and who, at a given moment, decide to get in shape, but start with exercises that exceed their capacity due to the mistaken belief that improvements will advance faster .

This is another of the possible causes of chronic back pain, since areas of the body are subjected to excessive tension and effort that, afterwards, has detrimental effects. Carrying out physical exercise, especially after periods of inactivity, should be progressive.

Accelerated and sudden movements

At this point, we refer to two specific moments. On the one hand, those in which we must bend down to pick up something from the ground and we do it by arching the back and spine, instead of bending the knees. It is a movement that, despite its harmful effects, is very common in the routine of human beings . On the other, there are also those sudden turns or movements that we make in moments of surprise or carelessness.

Both situations can cause back pain, and also turn it into a chronic discomfort. To avoid this, it is key to assimilate prevention behaviors: when we have to bend down to reach something off the ground, it will always be better to bend the knees to keep the back straight. In addition, it is also advisable to avoid fast turns and perform them with a movement that accompanies the whole body .

Lifting too much weight on a day-to-day basis

At this point we can mention workers whose daily tasks involve lifting heavy objects, such as bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers or farmers, among other professions. It can also be the case of athletes in disciplines where you must show strength by lifting high weights .

In both cases, it is convenient to bet on effort management and postural health, to avoid suffering back pain that, in the worst cases, can turn into chronic pain . that will be an impediment to continue with this type of work or sports practices.

Maintain an unhealthy posture

If we talk about the effects of adopting inappropriate postures, we must paradoxically focus on those people who, due to their work occupation, spend a large part of their day sitting down. Despite being placed in a comfortable position and, a priori, resting, sometimes the necessary attention is not paid to the body position, which is usually marked by a curved back and poorly crossed legs. In these situations, betting on ergonomic seats and getting used to maintaining an upright posture will be the best prevention against back pain .

The key to avoiding back pain is prevention . And to achieve this, it is important to stay active, always in moderation. In this sense, it is important to leave sedentary life behind and incorporate activities into daily life. In addition, it will also be essential to avoid situations that generate stress and anxiety and to give the precise importance to any discomfort or warning of pain, that is, to go regularly to specialized professionals.