According to the World Health OrganizationIn 2020, low back pain affected 619 million people worldwide and was the leading cause of disability. In most cases there is no specific explanation for the pain.
However, there are some things we can do to reduce the risk of such pain.
1 Get active
Studies suggest that exercise can improving the supply of essential nutrients to the discs that sit between the vertebrae, while exercise also strengthens the muscles.
“Regular aerobic exercise is probably the best prevention (for back and neck pain),” says Michael Grevitt, a spine surgeon in Nottingham. That can include a variety of activities that get the heart pumping, such as walking, jogging, cycling and swimming.
However, it is also important to stretch the hamstrings and glutes and build core stability. Among other exercises for the latter, recommended by the NSare knee hugs, knee rolls and pelvic tilts.
Dr. Stephen Humble, a consultant in spinal medicine in London, said 30 minutes of exercise a day was a good goal, but it was important to ease into such a regime slowly. “I’ve seen so many people with prolapsed discs because they did too much at the gym,” he said.
Prof. Peter O’Sullivan, a specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist at the Curtin School of Allied Health, Australia, added that relaxation, sleep, a healthy diet and good mental health are also important preventative measures.
2 Quit smoking
A number of studies have done so associated smoking with back and neck pain. It is possible that some people smoke because they have pain, or that the link is due to associated factors such as being sedentary. However, experts have suggested that smoking itself may contribute to back and neck pain.
“Smoking has been shown to reduce blood flow to the intervertebral discs and accelerate the rate of degeneration,” says Grevitt. “Therefore, back pain is more common in smokers and, combined with a general lack of fitness, has a greater impact and associated disability.”
Philip Sell, a retired spine surgeon in Leicester, said obesity was also a risk factor for back pain, but again the situation was complex. “If you’re morbidly obese, you tend to be very sedentary,” he said.
3 Throw away the chair
“We evolved from hunter-gatherers. So sitting in front of a computer, or staring at phones all day, is not really what we were designed to do,” Grevitt said.
However, standing places pressure on the spine in the optimal way, Sell says.
If you have a desk job, consider swapping your chair for a height-adjustable standing desk. Grevitt said, “There is a lot of evidence that just doing this can reduce the burden of back pain in your employees.”
Where that is not practical, there are other options. “There are good chairs that provide lumbar and thigh support,” he said.
It is not entirely clear why sitting is so bad for the back; the role of posture in back and neck pain is controversial.
Humble is among those who believe attitude matters. “If you slump forward and your chin goes forward, it puts a lot more weight on the joints in the neck and therefore accelerates wear and tear. It also puts stress on the muscles and ligaments,” he said.
But O’Sullivan offered a different view. “Sitting isn’t so much about posture, it’s about being sedentary. We are made to move,” he said. “Find positions that are relaxed and comfortable – vary them and get up and move regularly.”
4 Be careful when lifting
According to trade union Unison, 300,000 people in Great Britain experience back pain every year due to manual handling accidents.
Nasty lift safelysquat, holding the load close to your body with both hands, keeping your back straight and straightening your hips and knees to stand.
5 When the pain strikes, don’t stay in bed
“The longer you stay in bed, the worse your disability will be,” says Grevitt.
Part of the problem, he said, was that people with back pain tend to avoid activities because they fear it could make the pain worse.
“Doing that quickly restores the muscles that need to be trained to maintain good posture and a balanced spine,” says Grevitt. “Paradoxically, early return to activity shortens the overall period of disability.”
O’Sullivan also warns against over-concern. “For most people, back and neck pain are not a sign of tissue damage,” he said.
However, Sell said that pain that doesn’t improve over time, or is related to changes in bowel or bladder habits, was one of the signs you should seek medical attention.