Back pain is awful it can range from the odd twinge to totally debilitating. Often this can take you completely unawares with no explanation to what caused such pain in the first place.
From a structural point of view this can be attributed to something called ‘creep’. This word describes the sliding movement of one vertebrae on top of another. It happens when you go against your bodies natural curves. For example in the lower back this is when you sit in a slumped posture and the normal inwards curve (lordosis) of the back bends outward (kyphosis). This puts your spine at a disadvantage as it is stronger when positioned as nature intended and this wrong curve puts extra strain and tension on the softer tissues surrounding the spine – ligaments, muscles and discs. The joints at the back of your spine take more load than they are designed for too. Think of ligaments as being like plasticine or putty. If you pull either end and stretch, it will slowly lengthen. When you stop it doesn’t immediately spring back to its starting position. The same happens with your ligaments. You have long ligaments that run the length of your spine front and back. If you lengthen these then your back will be more unstable which then lays you susceptible to causing an injury that will lead to back pain.
Have you ever experienced pain after any of these activities:
- Straightening up after digging and weeding?
- Looking up e.g. painting a ceiling?
- Lifting a suitcase of the carousel at the airport?
- Sitting on the sofa/at work/at a conference?
All of these incidences can be attributed to…..Creep.
If you have held a position for a prolonged period of time you need to change position, get up and walk around standing tall. This will depend on how long you have been done something your body could be vulnerable for 15 or more minutes afterwards.
If you have found this article interesting and would like to find out more ways that you can help yourself to prevent back pain then visit our advice hub.