Hello! Welcome to Reignite Health, Bokz the Bio here ready and happy to educate you more on health so you can reignite your health.
Today’s topic will be looking at lower back pain and how the core plays a role in causing it, preventing it, and treating it.
So firstly, what is lower back pain?
It is the pain/discomfort one feels in the lower part of the back caused by a strain/injury/spasm to the muscle/tendons located in that region. Other causes of pain are due to conditions such as arthritis and kidney infections, disc herniations, and fractures to the bone that protects the spinal cord. Besides arthritis and kidney infections all the causes to lower back pain can be functional, meaning that it is caused by a specific activity that took place. These activities include falling on your buttocks from a high surface, any impact to the trunk, for example in sports, also lifting a heavy object incorrectly can lead to a herniated disc, and lastly poor posture, especially sitting posture, can lead to lower back pain.
The bone of our spine (vertebrae) is designed in a way that it curves between each segment. The curve forms a “S-shape’ when viewed from the side. This allows the spine to effectively absorb any shock placed on it when doing activities. The curvature is also good for each vertebra because the build-up of weight on the bottom vertebra is lessened. The curvature also provides us with the flexibility that we need to be able to do different tasks such as bending, lifting objects, twisting, walking, standing, and running. Consequently, it is normal and healthy to have a curved spine (side view) but as they say, “too much of something is not always good.” And this statement stays true for the spine.
We have numerous muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves that attach to and run near the bony part of our body, known as our skeleton. In most cases, overworking certain muscles can cause them to shorten and go into spasm. This will pull our skeleton out of alignment leading to a slight change in our posture and thus pain. Looking at excessively sitting at a desk all day everyday for work will lead to certain muscles shortening overtime. These muscles are situated at the front of the hips. They are known as our hip flexors. When these muscles shorten, it pulls the hips forward causing the curvature in the lower back to increase. The muscles in our lower back, especially Quadratus Lumborum, also become shortened. On the contrary, the stomach muscles are then stretched and are not working as hard to stabilize the hips leading to poor posture and lower back pain.
Keeping physically active and taking regular breaks from sitting is one effective way to prevent lower back pain. Try including core exercises in your exercise sessions and make sure to stretch the hip flexors and lower back daily. Doing core strengthening exercises, applying ice and/or heat to the lower back, getting a good deep tissue massage, and managing your stress are the best ways to treat lower back pain.
So, the core plays a role in causing lower back pain when it is stretched due to a change in your hip alignment. It helps prevent lower back pain by stabilizing the hips and working to keep the spine curvature from becoming excessive. Lastly, it is used to treat lower back pain by strengthening it.
Interesting facts about lower back pain:
- It is one of the most common types of pain the human population experiences
- Although it feels like the onset of the pain only happens when we are older, it is rarely caused by the process of ageing
- Reasons for lower back pain are not always structural but may be triggered by psychological/emotional stress
- One of the most cost-effective managements for lower back pain is physical activity.
- Learning how to lift objects correctly, strengthening and lengthening your trunk muscles aid in pain relief more than it causes harm to the lower back
- Alternating between standing, sitting, and lying down throughout the day may help relief back pain
Remember that back pain can be prevented and cured by keeping active, managing stress, and getting a good massage. The most common type of lower back pain is caused by muscle tightness and excessive forward tilting on the hips.
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Wishing you a lovely week ahead. Chat soon.
Bokz the Bio
Everybody has the ability to take control of their own health
Email: bmbio@reignitehealth.co.za