Low back pain-new health information for the study of illness.

Low back pain is pain and stiffness in the lower back. Some studies showed that it is one of the most common reasons people miss work.

How does it occur?

Low back pain is usually caused when soft tissue like muscles and ligaments attaching a vertebra is strained. Vertebra is the back bone that protects the spinal cord inside. When these muscles or ligaments become weak or strained, the spine loses its stability, resulting in pain.

Low back pain can be caused by several reasons:

1) Lifting and carrying heavy objects
2) Static positions like spending a lot of time sitting or standing in one position
3) Injury caused by a fall or by unusually strenuous exercise
4) Tension and stress that even cause headaches in some people
5) Violent sneezing or coughing
6) Overweight
7) An infection or an immune system problem
8) Arthritic disorders, congenital and degenerative conditions

If you find the pain is accompanied by loss of bowel or bladder control, weakness in moving your legs, or tingling or numbness or pins and needles sensation in your legs may indicate an injury to your spine and nerves. Immediate medical treatment may be required.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include:

-pain in the back or legs

-stiffness, spasm, or limited movement

The pattern of pain could be continuous or intermittent. It may be aggravated by certain factors like certain movements or positions, coughing, sneezing, twisting, bending or straining during a bowel movement. The pain could be localized (i.e. you can point of one spot of pain) or diffused (i.e. pain would be spread to other areas).

If the pain is found below the knee, the involvement of a herniated disc or nerve impingement would be suspected.

In the following situation, be sure you seek for immediate medical advice:

1) Significant weakness in your legs: You may prone to have the problem of nerve damage.
2) Problems of bladder or bowel control: Serve injury of spinal cord is suspected.
3) Despite of treatment, your pain gets worse.

How long will the effects last?

Studies showed that 80% of back pain would recover within two week's time.

How can I take care of myself?

Except for professional treatments, you may need to consider the following suggestions:

-Practice good posture. Stand with your head upright, shoulders relax, chest forward, weight balanced evenly on both feet, and pelvis tucked in.

-Manage weight if you are overweight

-Try wrapping an ice pack in a towel and put on your back for 20 minutes, 1 to 4 times per day. Use a timer to avoid frostbite from using the ice pack too long.

-If the back pain lasts for more than 48 hours, thermal therapy of using an electric heating pad or a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel for about 30 minutes would be used. Beware of getting burn by over-heating. Don't fall asleep.

-When you are lying faced up, put a pillow under your knees.

-When you are side lying, put a pillow between your knees.

-Sleep without a pillow under your head.

Early mobilization (activity and exercise) is usually recommended. Pain is used as an indicator of how much mobilization should do. In normal situation, mild soreness and discomfort would not be a problem. However, stop your activities for a while if:

1) Your symptoms return.
2) The pain increases when you are more active.
3) The pain increases within 24 hours after a new or higher level of activity.

When can I return to my normal activities?

Return to your activities would be varied from individuals to individuals. Studies showed soft tissue normally requires 6 weeks to recover. In general, the longer than symptoms you have, the longer it will take to heal up. If you return too soon, your body may not be ready and get injured again.

It's important to know you have fully recovered from your back problem before you return to any vigorous activities.

You must be able to return to your pre-morbid conditions (i.e. same range of motion as before and pain free).

What can I do to help prevent low back pain?

You can reduce the strain on your back by doing the following:

1) When you lift:

-Bend your knees when you bend over.
-Avoid lifting heavy objects higher than your waist.
-Bend your knees and hips and keep your back straight when you lift a heavy object.

2) When you sit:

-Whenever you sit, sit in a straight-backed chair and hold your spine against the back of the chair.
-Use a footrest for one foot when you sit in one spot for a long time. This keeps your back straight.
-Sit close to the pedals when you drive and use your seat belt and a hard backrest or pillow.

3) When you sleep:

-Lie on your side with your knees bent when you sleep or rest. It may help to put a pillow between your knees.
-Put a pillow under your knees when you sleep on your back.
-Raise the foot of the bed 8 inches to discourage sleeping on your stomach unless you have other problems that require that you keep your head elevated.

4) Additional tips for resting your back:

-Lie on your back, bend your knees, and put pillows under your knees.
-Lie on your back, put a pillow under your neck, bend your knees to a 90-degree angle, and put your lower legs and feet on a chair.
-Lie on your back, bend your knees, and bring one knee up to your chest and hold it there. Repeat with the other knee, then bring both knees to your chest. When holding your knee to your chest, grab your thigh rather than your lower leg to avoid over flexing your knee.

On the back muscle pain-awareness and answers

If you start to suffer from back pain. The behavior of your close attention, especially any you may have recently? Start a new job that requires the computer than you are used to. Or you can take more time than a regular phone you say on more mobile phone while driving, or not many of us calling between cradle and shoulders, which is one way to build muscle pain in the neck and shoulder region, back up, so you may want to invest in the headset or speakerphone for vehicles or your desktop.

By adding the body consciousness, you often can identify sources of stress that will bring you pain muscles after upper section. Although you can keep track of your time in a while to see if this reveals acts as your own client-billable time tracking our many clients but never thought to use this technique to improve the well-being of our own.

For example If you spend more than an hour to sit before your Terminal without a break, you will increase your chances of developing pain of muscles after top. Try this tip: stand up hours of time. Use what works for you-timer Notification function on your PDA or mobile phone or just a clock in your computer-get into your Chair.

When you're straight Place your fingertips against your stretch and s-l-o-w-l-y back only as far as comfort. Keep your place while you inhale exhale once relax on the exhale without collapse.

Next Drop forward slowly bending at the waist-not just that touch bounce stretch your toes again holding the stretch while inhaling and exhaling once back to the desired location and repeat the whole sequence.

This is another very strong-buster: Twist of his head gently at first in one direction and more. Swing your arms, wrists so they follow the motion of the head. Wrap around your torso chest level. Let your fingertips just touch your shoulder while you rotate it back slowly and above-again. Not great for bounce to divide the form into your upper back and shoulders up any cricks from holding one in your Chair is too long.

You can also use these stretches out in public where you can sit for a long time-for example stadium or movie and how meetings staff. Bathroom break is a good time to stretch. Too whether at work or play.

Change the old behaviour is not easy. But if you can see this warning as an opportunity to improve the quality of your life, enough for a reminder to notice what you are doing with your body. You will have an opportunity to succeed. For example, the last one: a physical therapist with his parents used bright point labels easily dut adhesive around the home alarm monitoring posture of them.