subject: What Causes Back Pain? [print this page] You never realize how important your back is until it hurts. When you have back pain, everything seems to make that pain worse - including the simple act of breathing. The back is a major part of your skeletal structure, and as such, when you are experiencing back pain, every movement of the body makes you feel that pain even more.
Because of this, we want to do everything that we can to prevent pain in your back, and as with any other health concern, the best prevention is to have a full understanding of the causes. You might even be surprised at some of the causes of back pain.
Most back pain comes from strains. This may be caused by overusing the back muscles in ways that it is not accustomed to, such as doing exercises or participating in activities that are unusual for you. It could also come from twisting the wrong way, or even taking a simple misstep, such as stepping off a curb the wrong way.
In some cases, the problem is much more serious, and it goes beyond sore or tired muscles. For instance, injuries that cause ruptured disks can cause significant back pain that will last for years, and may require surgery. Some conditions such as sciatica, osteoporosis, or arthritis can also cause back pain, although this pain is rarely continual. Instead, this type of pain in your back will come, stay for a while, and then go away for a while before returning again. Of course, infections of the spine or spinal cancer will also cause significant back pain.
Many people don't realize that prolonged stress can cause pain in your back. When you get stressed, your muscles stay tense, and this tension causes the muscles to become sore. Other factors also affect your back, such as aging, being overweight, smoking, and even depression or anxiety.
You should also be aware that letting your muscles go, so to speak, can also cause pain in your back. When those back muscles and abdominal muscles weaken due to lack of use, such as living a very sedentary lifestyle, even the simplest of tasks, such as sweeping your floor or standing for any period of time, can cause your back to hurt, because those muscles are no longer strong enough to support your frame.
Again, by knowing the causes of back pain, you will be better able to prevent pain in your back from occurring. Make sure that you are exercising regularly, and that you are living a healthy life style, with as little stress as possible in order to protect your back.
