What if we told you you could prevent back pain by adjusting your lifestyle? Does it make sense to you? It is true that back pain is a prevalent condition, affecting up to 8 in 10 people at some point in their lives. It is also true that a decent proportion of back pain is attributable to our lifestyle choices. Regardless of its cause, back pain may become chronic and lead to severe physical and psychological complications if it isn’t addressed early.
This article will explore lifestyle factors that cause back pain and how physical therapy at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers – Marietta can help treat this condition.
Contents
Symptoms of Back Pain
Apart from the obvious discomfort, what are the other signs and symptoms showing the presence back pain? These include:
- Sore, tight, and aching muscles in the back
- Muscle stiffness in the back
- Limited range of motion and flexibility
- Postural alignment problems
- Numbness or tingling sensations in the back
- Muscle weakness and fatigue
Lifestyle Factors Contributing To Back Pain
While most people may choose to blame their back pain on injuries and underlying medical conditions, their bad habits and lifestyle choices can significantly contribute to the development of back pain. The following are the most common lifestyle factors that may cause back pain:
Sedentary Lifestyle
Individuals who live this lifestyle choose to be physically inactive and perform little to no physical movements or exercises. They may be confined to this status due to workplace demands, chronic illnesses, or disabilities, or they may just choose to be physically inactive. This lifestyle is characterized by prolonged periods of sitting or lying down. The lack of movement and physical activity that comes with a sedentary lifestyle takes its toll on the spine and causes muscle imbalance, which may lead to back pain.
Poor Posture
The spine has a neutral alignment position that must be maintained while sitting, standing, walking, and performing other physical activities to avoid complications. However, maintaining a poor posture pushes the spine out of its neutral alignment position, leading to muscle fatigue and tension that may cause back pain. Slouching, sitting, standing, and performing other activities in awkward positions can strain the muscles and ligaments supporting the spine, leading to back pain.
Obesity
This disorder involves excessive body fat, which constitutes a health risk. The excess weight accompanying obesity can increase the risks of inflammation and excessively strain the spine and back muscles. This condition may contribute to back pain and worsen existing conditions by altering posture, compressing the spinal discs, and pinching surrounding nerves.
Poor Ergonomics
The ergonomic design of your home and workplace environment can contribute to back pain. If your workplace or home environment is designed in a way that causes discomfort, stress, or even physical injury, your risks of developing back pain are on the increase. Using uncomfortable sofas, desks, chairs, computers, and other equipment can strain your back, leading to back pain.
Stress
Psychological factors can also contribute to the development of back pain. Stress is a common psychological factor that can cause your back muscles to become tense and stiff, leading to back pain. Stress can also increase your sensitivity to physical pain, allowing you to experience back pain more intensely.
Other risk factors that may not directly cause back pain but increase your chances of developing this condition include smoking, incorrect lifting techniques, lack of exercise, poor diet, sleeping position, etc.
How Can Physical Therapy Help?
Physical therapy in Marietta is an effective treatment option for back pain. This healthcare profession can employ several techniques to relieve back pain, restore mobility and function, and improve an individual’s overall quality of life. If you are suffering from back pain in Marietta due to your lifestyle choices, the following are ways through which physical therapy can help you:
Initial Evaluation
This is the first step of physical therapy for back pain. A physical therapist will thoroughly assess your condition to determine the cause of your back pain. A typical physical therapy evaluation for back pain may include questions about your medical history and symptoms. You may also undergo tests and physical examinations to evaluate your posture, range of motion, muscle strength, and other necessary factors. If needed, your physical therapist may order imaging scans of your back for further diagnosis. The results of your initial evaluation will be used to develop your personalized treatment plan that encompasses your needs and treatment goals.
Therapeutic Exercises
This is one of the primary techniques that physical therapists employ to treat musculoskeletal pain. Therapeutic exercises are movements and physical activities that therapists design to relieve pain, restore mobility, function, and flexibility, and improve muscular strength. Physical therapists may recommend different targeted exercises to treat and manage back pain due to lifestyle factors. Some of these may include:
- Strengthening exercises to strengthen the back, core, and muscles that support the spine
- Stretching exercises to improve flexibility, ease muscle tension, and increase range of motion
- Low-impact aerobic exercises to keep the whole body fit without straining the spine
- Pilates exercises
Posture Correction
Physical therapists can teach their patients to maintain the correct posture while sitting, standing, walking, and performing other physical activities to manage and prevent further back pain. They also recommend techniques and exercises to improve posture and provide ergonomic advice for workplace and home environments.
Manual Therapy
This involves hands-on techniques to reduce pain and improve the mobility of joints, nerves, and other soft tissues. Physical therapists may employ manual therapy techniques for back pain treatment, which include massage, joint mobilization, soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point therapy, etc. These techniques can address muscle tightness and other restrictions.
Pain Management Techniques
Physical therapists may employ other modalities, such as heat and cold therapy, ultrasound therapy, electrical stimulation, etc, to relieve and manage pain and promote healing.
Education and Lifestyle Modifications
Physical therapists also educate their patients on what to do or avoid to manage and prevent back pain in the future. They may also supervise ergonomic home and work environment adjustments, guide lifestyle changes, and provide stress management techniques to treat back pain.
Conclusion
Back pain may be caused by habits and lifestyle factors incorporated into our daily lives. However, physical therapy provides an escape through its various effective treatment techniques. Therefore, if you suffer from back pain due to lifestyle factors, you should consider undergoing physical therapy at FYZICAL North Hills.
