If you think your latest back problem was caused by lifting a heavy object, or from twisting the wrong way, or whatever the event was that brought it on, you would likely be wrong. Most back problems don't just happen “all of a sudden”. They are the result of things you’ve been doing (or not doing…) for many years. Here’s what the experts say…
Posture
First, your posture can set you up for back problems. How we sit and stand can set us up for pain down the road. For example, when you cross your legs knee over knee, your back twists to compensate. Since humans are creatures of habit, we tend to assume a posture we find comfortable frequently, sometimes for hours at a time. Chronically twisting the back, even if it feels comfortable at the time, eventually results in shortened muscles on one side and a back that doesn’t quite straighten out when you stand up. But you are unlikely to notice the change yourself. Other positions like slouching with the neck extended, shoulders rounded and back curved to compensate also set you up for future pain.
The Sitting Disease
Second, just sitting for long periods of time means there are muscles that aren’t being used. And these can become weak over time, setting you up for painful muscle spasms when you do try to use them to lift or twist. It isn’t really the “lift” that is the true cause of the pain, it’s the fact that your muscles have withered from lack of use. Humans were designed to move, not to sit for hours at a time at a desk!
Stress
Third, many people notice that their back “goes out” more frequently when they are stressed. And there is definitely a connection between the mind and the body… I’m sure you’ve heard the term “tension headache” -- it’s a headache caused by spasm of the muscles in the scalp, usually brought on by stress or fatigue. Other muscles can spasm for the same reason, including muscles of the back and shoulders, causing back or neck pain. Back expert, Dr. John Sarno, calls this “Tension Myositis Syndrome” and cites it as a major cause of back, neck, shoulder, buttocks and limb pain in the many patients he has treated over the years of his practice. His book, Healing Back Pain written in 1991, still has valuable information for back pain sufferers.
I’m certainly “guilty” of tensing my shoulders when I’m stressed, and too frequently have a stiff neck that I blame on a car accident 40 years ago or on having spent too much time with my head turned to one side or upward the day before (or all of the above…). Like many writers, I sometimes study and write about subjects I am personally concerned about, while also helping my readers! I've already put some of what I learned for this article to use...
And constipation?
Fourth, constipation can make low back pain worse for some people too! The bowel is suspended from the lower spine by a web called the mesentery. When the bowel gets full and heavy because the contents aren’t moving along as they should, it tugs on the lower sections of the spine, compressing nerves and causing discomfort. Also, when you consider that opioids cause constipation, for some the “cure” could be making the pain worse! And treating the constipation may help to improve low back pain.
What can you do?
Taking a break from sitting regularly can help prevent back problems. Shifting position frequently while sitting can also help. And avoid sitting in a twisted, cross-legged position. Some researchers have suggested that the ideal chair should have a seat that slants forward, putting some weight onto the legs, and should allow you to wiggle and move around to vary your position, but I’ve never seen anything that looked like that in an office furniture store!
The conventional 90-degree office chair actually puts high pressure on the discs between the vertebrae of the back, researchers say, and can lead to tight hips and psoas (the muscles that run inside the hips and need to extend to stand up), weak gluteus (your “butt” muscle), poor circulation causing swollen ankles and varicose veins, and a strained neck. The ideal hip angle, they tell us, is about 135 degrees, halfway between sitting and lying down, which brings to mind anti-gravity patio chairs! If your chair has an adjustable back, you might be able to tilt it back for part of the day, depending on the type of work you are doing, to create the ideal hip angle for at least a little while.
Until they invent the perfect workstation, the best suggestion is to take a break and move around every hour, and to change your sitting position frequently while you’re sitting. As one expert says, “The best posture is always the next one”. (Rethinking Sitting by Peter Opsvik)
As you see in the photo above, I’m trying out a new desk configuration… with my chair back slanted close to the ideal 135 degrees and using a second elevated screen, at least for some of my work... but taking a break now will help! I may even try doing some writing on the couch where I can elevate my feet and relax in another position for variety, and using dictation to give my arms, shoulders and hands a rest is definitely on my list.
So, pay attention to what you do while reading emails or watching TV -- it might make a difference in how your back feels in the future.
Next week, I’ll share what I’ve learned about how experts treat these problems if you already have them… Sign up by clicking the “Subscribe” button if you want to be sure to get Part 3 of my Back Pain series!
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