We all know that working long hours causes health problems, but the part of our body which gets affected most is our back. Almost all of us suffer from back pain. Back pain might be from different reasons. For example, sitting or standing for long hours, falling down and injuring your back, wearing high heels, being underweight or overweight, etc. There are a number of myths related to back pain. A few facts can help you overcome your back pain and also help avoiding it in future. Back pain, be it any type, either a very sharp and continuous pain or a slight and reoccurring pain, can take away the joys of your life not letting you enjoy anything peacefully. However, you can mitigate your back pain by understanding its cause and also making yourself aware of the facts and myths.
1. Sitting up straight can prevent back pain:
It is true that sitting with a hunched back is not good for your back; it can spoil your posture leading to serious complications for your back. However, sitting upright all the time can also strain your back. To avoid straining your back you need to lean back in your chair with your feet down on the floor and simply curve your back slightly. Practicing this posture few times in the day will help you prevent back ache and lessen the strain on your back. Even by getting up from your seat and strolling around while talking over the phone or reading work material will help lessen the strain on your back
2. Lifting heavy objects can hurt your back:
While lifting anything heavy it is important to maintain posture and then lift it to avoid a serious back injury. To lift heavy objects, first sit down close to that object with your back straight and then put your head up; avoid twisting your body by using the weight of your legs to stand upright. This posture is the best to avoid serious back injury. Be very careful as a little twist in your body can cause a serious injury. Avoid lifting objects that are too heavy for you.
3. Staying in bed until your back pain goes helps:
Resting or lying down on bed really helps cure strain on your back. However it needs to be for only about half an hour or maximum an hour but not a day or two in bed. On the contrary, long hours in bed can worsen back ache. Just try to lie down on your stomach for about half an hour or an hour to relax your back.
4. Injuries cause back pain:
Yes, injuries caused due to accidents can degenerate the disk of your back; however it is not just injuries that cause back ache. Other causes of back ache can be diseases and infections. Also hereditary traits can be one major cause of back ache.
5. Obesity can be a cause of back ache:
Being overweight can be a major cause of most of the physical problems. Excessive weight can strain your spinal cord leading to a slipped disk and injuring your back bone. Also sitting in one place and not exercising at all and then a carefree and exercise free weekend can cause strain on the back leading to back injuries. Hence obesity is very harmful for your back.
6. Extremely thin people suffer from back pain problems:
It is not necessary that only fat or obese people suffer from back pain. Back pain can be a problem for anyone. People suffering from eating disorders (or who follow a strict diet) and other diseases like anorexia can suffer from major problems like bone loss leading to fractures and damaged vertebrate, thus leading to serious back problems.
7. Exercise can be harmful for your back:
This is purely a myth. When a patient suffers from serious back pain, the doctor recommends light exercise initially. As the back gets better the exercises get a little intense. In fact, exercising regularly can prevent strain on your back and avoid back pain. Even patients suffering from acute back ache are recommended mild exercises to avoid occurrence of the pain.
8. Chiropractic adjustments can help cure back ache:
Treating lower back pain is not impossible these days. Doctors and patients consider spiral manipulation by a chiropractor or a massage therapist. Chiropractics is a proven treatment by the American College of Physicians and also by the American Pain Society guidelines to cure lower back pain.
9. Acupuncture can help relieve back ache:
Both the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society recommend acupuncture to cure acute back ache for patients who do not get relief from standard treatments. Besides acupuncture, yoga, cognitive behavioral therapy and progressive relaxation also help lessen the back pain.
10. Sleeping on a super firm mattress can help:
This is not true. In fact it is proven that people sleeping on a medium firm mattress are said to suffer from less back ache and disabilities than those sleeping on super firm mattress. However, different people have different sleeping habits and sleeping postures which can cause back problems. But selecting the correct mattress can reduce back pain.