6 Possible Reasons Why You Have Back Pain

Both lack of and too much physical activity can be a risk factor when it comes to suffering from back pain. Therefore, it is important to acquire any activity according to your abilities.

Back pain is a set of symptoms that can bring discomfort centered in the spine. This problem reduces a person’s functionality.

Everyone can suffer from back pain. In fact, 32 per cent of Norwegian workers suffer from low back or lower back pain during a month at work. This shows figures from the National Monitoring of Working Environment and Health (NOA) at STAMI.

The reasons for back pain

Most of the triggers for pain in the lower back are due to displacements in the structure of the spine.

This can, among other things, affect:

Ligament
Muscles
Back plates
The vertebrae

Specific factors

There are specific factors, such as trauma, poor posture and weak muscles. The injury can also be due to too much exertion or mechanical overload, which causes back pain.

Non-specific factors

On the other hand, back pain can come from something completely different than the factors above.

This is pain that varies in intensity after changes in posture. It can also vary when exercising certain types of physical activity.

In these cases, it is necessary to analyze various biological, social, structural, or even psychological, elements.

Risk factors

1. Stress and depression

According to several studies, both chronic pain and pain in the lower back are regularly associated with cases of stress, depression and anxiety.

Although the cause of the pain is physical, it has been shown that psychological factors have an important impact on the development and treatment of these discomforts. Because of this, it is advisable to take a break and relax.
It is necessary to maintain a good sleep rhythm and include pleasant activities within your daily routines.

2. Age

Over the years, the body will naturally wear out, and this includes the spine and joints.

Therefore, back pain is more common in older people who typically struggle with disorders such as osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis.

In contrast, young people typically struggle with specific problems, such as disc herniation or degenerative diseases of the intervertebral discs.

3. Gener

There are many genetic predispositions, especially in people who have symptoms of back pain and disc problems from an early age.

According to some studies, the mutated gene “carbohydrate sulphotransferase” (“carbohydrate sulphotransferase 3 (CHST3)”), is apparently responsible for increasing the risk of developing lumbar disc degeneration by as much as 30%.

These investigations also indicate that if one of the parents has this gene, there is a 50% chance that the child will also suffer from it.

Because of this, it is best to maintain a healthy life ‘s style and avoid intense workouts. In case you have this gene, weightlifting is not recommended.

4. Risks associated with the workplace

In the previously mentioned study, National Monitoring of Working Environment and Health (NOA) at STAMI, it was shown that there is a relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and physically demanding work.

Activities that require a lot of effort are those where you lift heavy things. This involves moving, pushing and even using machines or tools.

However, back pain can also be caused by how many times, and for how many hours a day, a single person is used to being exposed to such exertion.

While sporadic, stress-related injuries are acute but short-lived, exposure to usual stress can result in chronic injuries and disorders.

Some considerations that can be taken in these cases are to lift heavy objects close to the body, and bend the knees to keep the back straight.

It is also advisable to maintain a moderate pace when performing risky activities.

5. A sedentary lifestyle

All over the world, physical inactivity is one of the risk factors for mortality and obviously it damages the condition of the musculoskeletal system.

Otherwise, the biological structure will be weakened, and thus will not have the strength to protect the spine and give the joints and ligaments stability.

After all, a lack of muscle strength will increase the risk that pain experienced will appear at a later time, or persist.

Yes, sometimes it is difficult to stay active, especially if you have a sedentary job. Still, small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or using the car less and walking more, are good strategies for increasing activity levels.

Bad attitude

Poor posture is one of the most common causes of back pain when there are no other injuries in the area. The reason is that one distributes the weight of the head in an inadequate way.

As a result, the muscles in the back are stiffer and often fall victim to overload in order to find balance in the body.

The correct position when standing is to keep the head, shoulders, hips and ankles in line.

But, if you are sitting, you should rest your feet on the floor, keep your knees at a right angle, keep your back against the back of the chair and, above all, avoid strolling.

One should also avoid twisting or bending the waist as much as possible, as these movements are associated with an increase in the risk of back pain.