Why Your Back Hurts!

Your spine hurts, you feel miserable and you’re blaming your heels for the pain you’re suffering.

But are you right? Although heels do cause lower back pain, according to various studies, they are not the only culprit for your aches.

What could be causing Your Back Ache?

Smartphone and Tablets

An average person spends approximately nine hours slouched in front of a screen each day. That could be your computer, tablet or even your cell phone. But this much use of technology results in the same conclusion—neck and back pain.

It is important that you do back exercises, maintain a distance from the screen in question and allow your eyes and back some relief.

Sedentary Lifestyle

If your job requires you to sit all day, it puts pressure on your vertebrae and disks, leading to back pain. Alleviate that pain by using a lumbar-support cushion and adopting a proper posture.

Adjust your seat so that the monitor is at eye level, feet are planted firmly on the ground, and your arms and knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. This will give your joints the relief they need.

Weakened Core

Having a strong core isn’t all about gorgeous six-pack abs.

Your core is composed of your sides, pelvic, buttocks and your back, each of which need to work together with your abs so you can bend and stand upright at will. If your core is weak, that pain will automatically transmit to other parts of your body. Incorporate spine-supporting muscles in your core exercises such as lunges, squats and planks etc.

Smoking

That’s right. Smoking isn’t just hell for your lungs and heart.

Smokers are more likely to have back issues because of the nicotine restrictions on blood flow to the spinal discs and vertebrae. Nicotine interferes with your body’s ability to absorb calcium as well, and that leads to back and osteoporosis-related problems. So while it’s understandably not easy to give up smoking, you would do well to limit your intake.

Depression

Your mental health has an acute effect on your neck and lower back. When you’re depressed, coping mechanisms (withdrawing or avoiding problems) trigger the hormone, cortisol, which tenses up your shoulders and back, causing the pain to increase. The result is a vicious cycle of chronic depression and pain.

Too Much Rest

It’s okay to sit back and relax your spine, perhaps stretch on a couch for 20 minutes to rest those shoulders. Lying for a day or two is not.

Balance your time of rest with your remaining active hours. Incorporate low-impact activities like walking and swimming into your daily schedule to boost blood flow, and stretch whenever you feel that familiar twinge of pain coming back. Strengthening and stretching your body is an effective option when it comes to soothing your spine pain.

Consult with One of the Best Chiropractors in Portland

Back pain can become quite serious if you don’t take the right steps to fix it. This is why we offer our expertise as one of the best chiropractic clinics in Portland.

We offer comprehensive treatment for back pain and other ailments along with complete information so you can live without aches and pains.

Feel free to contact us and give us the chance to contribute to your health.