Low Back Pain: More Common Than You Think!
*3 minute read*
You may not realize it, but if you're reading this while sitting down, there's a good chance you're experiencing low back pain right now. Nearly 80% of adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Odds are that you or someone you know is dealing with it as we speak. So you might be asking yourself, " why is back pain so common and what can I do to help it?"
Let's take a look.
There are a number of reasons why low back pain is so prevalent. Firstly, increasingly sedentary lifestyle, ironically, puts a lot of stress on our bodies. The lack of movement impedes our circulation and impacts our ability to adapt to our environment. Not exercising our joints to their fullest range of motion will cause issues of mobility and can lead to pain. If your a keyboard warrior, get up and move your body every 20-45 minutes. Use a sit-to-stand desk and try to get up and walk around when making phone calls.
So then is exercise the key to prevent back pain? In some cases, absolutely. In others, not so much.
When you exercise, you put stress on your body, and if you're not used to this kind of stress, or if you're doing too much too soon, it can lead to injury. Start slowly and gradually increase your activity level over time. Build up your endurance so that your muscles and joints are used to the stress of exercise. And be sure to do mobility drills that prepare you for exercise and post workout stretches.
Ok, so your exercising safely, walking around the neighborhood, stretching your glutes and still in pain. Do you toss in the towel?
Interestingly enough, tension around our thoracic, abdominal and pelvic organs can cause back pain. Tension can be created by dehydration, excessive fat around the organs, disease and illness, scar tissue, and trauma (history of surgeries, impact, collisions, etc). So your relentless sharp stabbing low back pain could be coming from a constipated colon. Or a C-section scar that still pulls into the hips.
This is where Osteopathic Manual Practitioners shine. *twinkle twinkle* We are trained to investigate the source, or sources, of discomfort and advice appropriate measures. Our palpation and manual therapy skills help to calm the nervous system, which helps with pain management and control.
If you're experiencing low back pain, you're certainly not alone. In fact, chances are high that someone you know is going through the same thing. While there's no holy grail cure for back pain, there are plenty of ways to find relief.
So don't suffer in silence—get out there and get the treatment you need!
If you want to know is Osteopathy can help then book your complimentary 15 minute Discovery call today!
Comments