Back Pain Causes

What Causes Back Pain?

Back pain is a physical condition that should not be ignored. If you ignore back pain, what was supposedly just a mildly discomforting pain in your back can end up to something so painful that you will be unable to do anything but lie down in bed. This is why, it is very important that you see to it that you are able to handle your back pain as soon as it manifests as well as avoid getting back pain in the first place. In order to help you with this, you need to know what causes back pain. By knowing what is behind your back pain, you will be able to take the necessary steps to effectively heal your pain.

Weak muscles – most back pain are caused by weak back muscles. When you subject your back to a degree of physical labor that your back muscles cannot handle, it will overstrain and overstretch your muscles to the point that it will become inflamed and cause pain. If you have weak back muscles, a small degree of physical labor can already lead to back pain. This means that if you need to do some physical labor as part of your job, it is highly recommended that you make sure that you strengthen your back muscles in order to avoid getting back pain. You can strengthen your back muscles by exercising.

Poor posture – bad posture is another popular cause for back pain. Having a bad posture places stress on the wrong parts of your back that are not made to handle the stress. This results to a weak back that results to regular back pain. Any lengthy period of sitting, standing and walking with a bad posture can result to a very tiring and discomforting pain at the end of the day. Poor posture is one of the main reasons behind what causes back pain.

Don’t Be Sidelined With Back Pain This Fall and Winter: Leading Rheumatologist Offers Tips to Prevent Seasonal Back Aches

Des Plaines, IL (PRWEB)

Those lazy days of summer have ended and it’s time to prepare your back for the upcoming fall and winter seasons. Whether it’s raking leaves, shoveling snow, or cleaning out the garage, your back muscles will be strained and abused. For those not prepared, this will mean getting a backache.

“Fortunately, with attention to proper techniques and exercise, you can help to prevent seasonal back pain,” said Dr. Keith Reich, a board-certified rheumatologist and contributing editor to OurHealthNetwork.com. Here are a few tips that Dr. Reich shares with his patients who are prone to back pain:
Do not rake, shovel, or lift heavy objects first thing in the morning. Move around a bit and “loosen up.” The back is most vulnerable to injury after being at rest all night.

Do warm-up and stretching exercises just before beginning the job. Dr. Reich describes several stretches you can do at http://www.OurHealthNetwork.com/backpain .

Try not to twist your spine. If you need to reach for something, turn your entire body, rather than twist. Twisting along with bending will severely stress the spine and back muscles.

Do not use rakes and shovels that are too heavy for you.

If you need to lift a heavy load, get help.

Take frequent breaks and stretch your back in the opposite direction (lean backward).

Raking leaves and shoveling snow are strenuous activities that, if done properly, will help you burn extra calories and give you a good cardiac workout. If done improperly though, you will experience hours of back pain. If you follow these tips, you will enjoy your raking and shoveling “workouts”:

Raking Tips:

Stand straight and walk to the leaves, instead of bending at the waist to reach them.

Once you have the leaves under the rake, pull them straight back toward you. Don’t twist your body to get another load of leaves.

Avoid overuse injury to the back and shoulders by switching sides every few minutes. Rake ten minutes left-handed and another ten minutes right-handed.

Snow Shoveling Tips:

Lifting a shovelful of snow should be done with your knees, not your back. Keep your back straight, bend your knees, and lift the snow by straightening your knees.

Lift smaller loads of snow rather than heavy shovelfuls.

Turn your entire body and step in the direction in which you are throwing the snow. Do not just twist at the waist and throw. Twisting and throwing a heavy load will cause early back fatigue and make the back susceptible to severe injuries.

When the job is finished, Dr. Reich suggests taking some time out for yourself, and treating your muscles to a warm, soothing bath. This is good therapy for your mind, as well as your back!

Additional tips from Dr. Reich on avoiding back pain can be found at http://www.OurHealthNetwork.com/backpain .

Find More Backache Press Releases

X-Stop Changes Surgical Approach for Back Pain

Houston, Texas (PRWEB)

Two Houston area surgeons are pioneering a revolutionary approach to back surgery called X-Stop. X-Stop, a titanium spacer implant inserted during back surgery, offers relief from lower back pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), a narrowing of the spine that occurs with aging. The approach changes back treatment by offering a less-invasive back surgery than spinal fusion.

“It is a simple, less-invasive approach to back surgery, with outstanding results,” according to Dr. Henry Small, orthopedic surgeon. “Once the back surgery is performed, patients may be immediately relieved of pain and able to walk the same day.”

Along with Lee V. Ansell, MD, neurosurgeon, the surgeons are the first to provide X-Stop back surgery in southeast Texas. “X-Stop back surgery technology eases back pain and provides long term relief from physical symptoms for a majority of patients”, according to Dr. Ansell. “These patients with spinal stenosis have a narrowing of the spinal canal which places pressure on the nerves, resulting in pain that makes it difficult to stand or walk for long periods of time.”

The typical patient is over 50 years of age and has lost mobility due to the daily wear and tear on the spine, according to Dr. Ansell. Degenerative or age-related changes in the body can lead to compression of nerves (pressure on the nerves that may cause pain and/or damage). “Patients with LSS often have pain radiating down their legs as well as lower back pain,” says Dr. Ansell. “The symptoms only seem to improve when they sit, bend forward or lie down.”

The X-Stop back surgery procedure is typically done in less than an hour and the patient is discharged from the hospital within 24 hours. Only local anesthesia is used and there is no tissue or bone removal during the X-Stop back surgery procedure, which is reversible. The X-Stop implant is placed between the bones of the vertebrae, relieving the patient of pressure on the spine. It is designed to remain safely and permanently in place without attaching to the bone or ligaments in the back.

Normal activity can be resumed within two to six weeks after X-Stop back surgery, depending upon the patient’s progress, according to Drs. Ansell and Small. Patients may undergo physical therapy, but usually do not need pain medication. “The results of X-Stop back surgery are very encouraging for patients who have been suffering for years and could not undergo spinal fusion surgery,” says Dr. Small.

X-Stop, manufactured by St. Francis Medical Technologies, of Alameda, California, was FDA approved in November of 2005. The physicians perform the back surgery at Foundation Surgical Hospital of Bellaire.

To find out if you are a candidate for the X-Stop back surgery procedure, contact Dr. Ansell at 713-664-0894 or Dr. Small at 713-864-1506. The web site which contains information on X-stop back surgery is www.sfmt.com.

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