Back Pain #1 – What is Back Pain?
Four out of five Americans will endure a serious episode of back pain at some point in their life. So why is back pain so common?
Dr. Vijay Vad, M.D.
Hospital for Special Surgery
Official PGA & Pro-Tennis Tour Doctor
One of the main reasons we experienced back pain is because we sit in chairs. It is really that simple, even though millions of years of evolution are designed to our spines to do otherwise. We eat, travel, and sit in chairs for hours at a time. Sitting on a floor cross legged as a standard in many developing countries is much better for our backs. This forces the spine in to perfect alignment and maintains flexibility in the hips. For this reason, back pain is much less common in Asian nations.
Our modern chair bound lifestyle cramps and stresses our spinal discs, weakens back muscles and reduces hip flexibility. It is clinically proven that the less flexibility one has in the hips, the more back pain will result.
To understand why our backs hurt, it helps to look at how this part of the body works. The back is made up of layers of interwoven muscles. They are wrapped around the S-shape of the spine. The spine has 24 vertebrae connected by facet joints. The vertebrae are cushioned by shock absorbing pads called the intervertebral discs. These discs filled with fluid that absorbs shocks and dissipates the energy of harsh impacts.
When we are born, the shock absorbing fluid is 80% water but as we aged, these discs gradually lose water and turn brittle. This is one of the underlying causes of persistent back pain and loses of flexibility. This natural aging process combined with our chair bound lifestyles contributes to our back pain epidemic.
Another surprising cause of back pain is actually all in our heads. A relaxed balanced posture is the key to a pain free back. To achieve this healthy stands, a group of cells called proprioceptors send data to the brain regarding the proper position and alignment of muscles. But in our hectic lives we often do not stop to listen to the signals our body sends us. The more we ignore this signals, the worst our posture and our pain becomes. To test your own body and mind connection, try this, stand on one leg with your arms extended at shoulder height. You will notice a little wobble but probably nothing you can not control. Now increase the difficulty by closing your eyes. The better your mind body connection, the longer you will be able to maintain this position. This exercise demonstrates that the mind is a vital instrument in maintaining healthy balance in the back. Whether it is from consistent poor posture, excessive chair sitting or just from the natural process of aging, back pain is all too common. The good news is there is help for chronic back pain.
For more information on treating and preventing chronic pain, check out my book, “Back Rx,” a 15 minute a day yoga and pilates based program to end low back pain and remember, please see your doctor immediately if you are experiencing persistent back pain.
Want to learn more, check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.
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