How can you improve lower back pain?
Back pain affects a lot of people across the world, not only is it something that affects is physically but the effect that back pain has on mental health is extremely high. There are different causes to back pain and many different types – all of these affect people differently and that’s what makes back pain a big cause of stress and discomfort. The key thing with back pain is to seek help and advice the first time that any pain or discomfort presents itself, there are a range of exercises, stretches and steps that can be taken to improve lower back pain. This article is here to explain a bit more about the different types of back pain that are out there and the relation that posture has on back pain.
What are the main types of back pain?
As with everything related to back pain it is not easy to apply a general rule of thumb to things. Back Pain is often a personal type of pain, this means that whilst back pain can be experienced by many people the symptoms, causes and treatment vary from person to person. There are a range of sections in the back that often cause pain. From large muscles, joints to nerves and vertebral discs – it is not easy to diagnosis back pain. Highlighting the importance to undergo a form of back assessment be that online or in person. An assessment will be able to identify the type of back pain you are experiencing. In addition to this, we thought it is best to give you a bit of an understanding of the types of back pain out there.
The three most common descriptors of pain are below.
Radicular Pain – This is usually described in a similar way to electric shocks. The pain travels up the spinal canal and it is often noted the pain travels through the entire back to the leg.
Referred Pain – One of the most commonly described types of back pain is the dull and achy pain experienced with referred pain. This type of pain can often move around in different areas of the back.
Axial Pain – This is usually confined to one sole area of the back. Often described as a long sharp pain that can come and go it is most commonly caused by a muscle strain.
How do exercises help with back pain?
Exercises for your back are all aimed at strengthening your current muscles so that you are able to manage the pain that is being experienced. It is important to understand which exercises are best for your pain. Exercises are not just there to help improve the pain being experienced but they can be used to identify the causes of the pain in the first place. Next, exercises are a great way to educate yourself on the different areas of the back, how they interact and the impact that posture and various activities can have.
It is important to do some research of your own and potentially seek a doctors opinion on your back and the pain experienced. There are a range of websites that have multiple exercises to help relieve lower back pain –
How big of a part does posture play in relation to back pain
Back Posture is a big influencer on back pain, ensuring that you take care and look after your posture can have a big impact on any pain that is experienced with your back. There are ange of steps that can be taken to improve posture, understanding that sitting at a desk all day with poor posture can be very detrimental to your physical health is key. The guys over at Back Pain Online created a great Back Posture Quiz for people to understand a bit more about the key aspects to posture plays on back pain. The quiz can be taken below and we strongly recommend that you listen to the comments made to ensure that your back is not put under extra stress through poor posture.
Small changes can make a big impact
Making changes to your lifestyle and activities can make a big impact on back pain. Back Pain can often be caused through sports-related injuries whilst doing no exercise at all can have the opposite effect and cause your back to become weaker and more prone to injuries and back pain.
We encourage all readers of this blog to make a conscious effort to think about posture and the role that this plays in our backs well being both from a physical point of view and mentally. In some cases, back pain can limit the activities and exercises that people can do.
