Back Pain After Heavy Lifting

Back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the world. In fact, after headaches, it is the second most common neurological problem that people experience. Yet, for all the incidences of headaches and backaches, nobody has identified the exact reason why they occur.

This is because there could be a number of reasons for backaches, starting from cancers and tumor to incorrect posture. Typically back pain can be divided into three:

Upper back pain
Mid back pain
Lower back pain

In this article, we take a look at all three types of back aches, with a short explanation on the causes and remedies.

The spinal column is composed of 33 vertebrae, which are medically classified as 3 sections, the cervical, the thoracic, and the lumbar regions. When it comes to backaches, however, the relationship of upper, mid and lower backache have nothing to do with these regions.

Upper Back Pain

Generally, any pain in the back between the shoulder blades is called upper back pain.

This region still falls into the thoracic region of the spinal column and is not as common as lower back pain because the vertebrae in this section are usually immobile. They are basically meant to keep the body stiff and to provide the framework to support the body.

Causes: Invariably upper back pain is caused due to wrong posture, especially when sitting. Most people work in front of a computer and sit back in their chairs, while still leaning in front. This bends the thoracic vertebrae and creates a stoop, which over time results in backache.

Mid Back Pain

Mid back pain is highly uncommon because it lies in the region between the end of the shoulder blades and where the lower back starts. This portion invariably does not move at all, and there is very little chance of spraining or straining this part of the back, unless in an injury.

Lower Backache

Lower backache is the most common because apart from the neck, it is the only portion of the vertebral column that is mobile. The bones of the vertebrae in this region are supported in place by the strong muscles of the back. When these muscles weaken, they are not able to support the spinal column, and because of its mobility, there is a very high likelihood of it moving out of alignment.

Causes: Starting from a misaligned back to straining the muscles that support the backbone, there are many reasons for people to have lower backache.

Prevention

One of the best ways to prevent back pain is to ensure that the muscles of the back are strong. As we age, we do not take care of our bodies, and while it may not be important for us to keep the skeletal muscles of the arms or legs strong, it is absolutely imperative that the muscles of the back be strong always.

One of the most common causes is back pain after heavy lifting, especially in people who do not exercise regularly. If you have to lift anything, never bend your back and lift, always squat first so that the strain is on the muscles of the thigh and not on the muscles of the back.

Treatment

Most doctors prescribe only analgesics (pain killers) and rest for back pain. This is because except when it is caused due to a specific medical condition, most back pain can only be cured through rest. Home remedies such as hot fomentation or gentle massage using therapeutic oils also help. Be careful though, as for all the strength of the muscles, the back is delicate and there are always dangers of you worsening the problem. Do not massage unless you know what and how to do it.

Mostly people do not exercise, or even the ones that do, concentrate on the flashy showy muscles rather than on the back. Therefore, simple aerobic exercises that induce movement or stretching exercises such as yoga and tai chi are very good to keep the back strong and healthy.

References

www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/back_pain/default.asp

Submitted on January 16, 2014