People who suffer from back pain usually can pinpoint those obvious causes for the problem. Usually back pain occurs from factors such as heavy or improper lifting, strained ligaments and muscles or sudden body movements. There are also structural reasons for back pain such as arthritis, osteoporosis, sciatica or ruptured disks. However, often back problems are due to hidden causes that are not as obvious.
Shoes and Back Pain
Because shoes support the entire body and are the only contact between the ground and a person, it’s important to wear the right shoes to avoid back pain. Shoes that are not aligned properly and don’t give proper support and ride quality can cause problems with backs. For example, high heels put added pressure on the foot which causes back pain. When wearing these shoes, a woman’s heels are placed unnaturally above her toes so even a slight change to the foot can affect body alignment. The spine has curves designed to distributed body weight and wearing high heels changes these curves.
Other types of shoes that don’t provide enough or any cushion include sandals, flip-flops and cowboy boots. In other words, choose well-cushioned shoes to reduce the odds of getting back pain.
Backpacks Causing Back Pain
Although mostly older people suffer from back problems, children can develop them from carrying heavy backpacks packed with books, calculators, notebooks and other school supplies. Usually, kids walk bent over from the strain of carrying too much weight on their backs and shoulders. According to a Children’s Hospital.org article, there are students who carry as much as 30% of their body weight. Besides a child complaining of back pain, another sign of the problem is a change in posture such as a child leaning either backward, forward or to the side. Excessive redness on shoulders is another sign that a backpack is too heavy. An alternative to heavy backpacks is pulling a small luggage on rollers such as those used when flying.
Poor Posture and Fatigue
Bad posture, whether lying, standing or sitting, causes the back to be more susceptible to back pain. Fatigue is another cause of poor posture leading to back pain. When the spine isn’t properly aligned muscles, spinal joints and ligaments are placed under additional stress causing back pain. The most common type of back pain from poor posture is lower back pain because the lower back supports the majority of the body’s weight. Poor posture can also lead to upper back pain such as people who slouch.
Stress and Back Pain
Back pain can be caused from emotional factors, as well as physical problems. Stress from work or home situations can do more than just cause mental frustration. These stressors can also cause back problems. According to Big Back Pain.com, there’s a significant link between stress and back pain. That’s because stress causes stress hormones to be released which increases the perception of pain. These stress hormones also leads to muscle tightening with muscles becoming so tense they can cause pain spasms with neck and back muscles being especially sensitive to stress effects.
It’s usually not too late to improve a bad back problem; however, it’s important not to ignore symptoms of back pain. As soon as symptoms of back problems surface, it’s vital to seek help and make needed adjustments. Correcting the problem may include the help of a doctor or health care professional.
