Surprising Habits That Cause Back Pain

1. The Habit: Sleeping On An Old Mattress

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a good mattress will last nine to ten years. Haven’t replaced yours since Cheers first aired? Chances are that your spine isn’t getting the support it needs.

The Fix: Replace your old mattress with one that’s not too hard and not too soft the former won’t allow the curves of your back to sink in, and the latter won’t offer enough support. A memory foam topper can also be helpful because it’ll contour to your body, allowing your spine to stay straight throughout the night.

2. The Habit: Carrying a Huge Bag

If your someone who likes to carry around all the essentials and nonessentials in your bag, your back is feeling it. Carrying a heavy load on one side of your body causes your shoulders to become imbalanced, throwing your spine out of balance too.

The Fix: Switch to a lighter bag the American Chiropractic Association recommends that your purse (with everything in it) weighs no more than 10 percent of your body weight. You can also spread out all of your stuff between a purse and a tote, one on each shoulder, to stay balanced.

3. The Habit: Wearing Stilettos…Or Flats

Heels that are too high for you will force you to arch your back, putting stress on your joints. But flats can also be bad for you, depending on your foot type. Sandals without a supportive back can also do damage, causing your feet to move from side to side and distributing your body weight unevenly.

The Fix: Everyone has an ideal heel height for them (which is why some can’t live without ballet flats, and some claim their stilettos are the most comfortable shoes they own). Find yours with this guide from the daily mail. sit in a chair and extend one leg out in front of you. Let your foot and ankle relax and fall naturally, and measure the distance between your big toe and  the bottom of your heel that’s your ideal heel height. If your foot doesn’t angle at all, flats are your best bet.

4. The Habit: Holding a Grudge

Still mad at Susan for bringing three bacon dishes to your vegetarian potluck? Your back may be suffering too. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that people who practice forgiveness experienced fewer feelings of anger, resentment, depression and fewer aches and pains. “Our emotions, muscle tension, and thoughts can directly influence the strength of our pain signals,” explains researcher James W. Carson, PhD.

The Fix: Not only are grudges bad for you physically, they don’t do much for you emotionally either. Start the process of giving up a grudge by setting an intention to do so,encouraging even the smallest feelings of forgiveness, and replacing negative thoughts with reasons to let go.

Home Treatment of Back Pain:

Bed rest is one of the easy and effective treatments for early stages of treatment. Sometimes medical experts advice their patients to be moderate in walking, sleeping and daily life activates and for bide from excessive work load. In acute pain paracetamol is affective and gives quick relief from pain. You can also use therapy treatment after consulting medical experts at home. Always maintain good posture while sitting, running, in working condition, standing. Lifting and even laying down. Regular exercise is most effective treatment for back pain especially for all age of people. .

Natural home remedies: back pain

Back pain often strikes when something's amiss with the delicate column of bones, muscles, ligaments and joints that holds you up. But many other conditions, like strains, arthritis, hairline spine fractures and even kidney infections, can cause your back to throb.

What you can do

• Ice first, heat later. As a pain reliever, ice works great. It temporarily blocks pain signals and helps reduce swelling. Several times a day, lay an ice pack wrapped in a towel on the painful area for up to 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can use a bag of frozen peas or corn. During the first few days of home treatment, apply the ice pack as frequently as necessary. Later you may still want to use ice after exercise or physical activities. After about 48 hours, switch to moist heat to stimulate blood flow and reduce painful spasms. Dip a towel in very warm water, wring it out, then flatten and fold it. Lie on your stomach with pillows under your hips and ankles. Place the towel across the painful area, cover the towel with plastic wrap, then put a heating pad set on medium atop the plastic. Leave it on for up to 20 minutes. You can repeat this three or four times a day for several days.
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• Perfect your posture. Look for the posture that places the least stress on your back. To do it, stand straight with your weight evenly balanced on both feet. Tilt your pelvis forward, then back, exaggerating the movement. Then settle into the position that feels most comfortable. Now “work your way up” your back, focusing on one area at a time. First concentrate on the area near your waist, then your chest area, and finally your neck and shoulders. Try to feel which position is least stressful and most comfortable. This is the position to maintain when you’re standing, walking, and beginning or ending any exercise.
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• Rise and shine. Each morning before you get out of bed, lie on your back and slowly stretch your arms overhead. Gently pull your knees to your chest, one at a time. To rise, roll to the edge of your bed, turn on your side, put your knees over the edge, and use one arm to push yourself up as you let your feet swing to the floor. Once you’re on your feet, put your hands on your buttocks and lean back very slowly to stretch out your spine.
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• Rub in some relief. Ask a partner to massage the aching area. If you want to use a “back rub” cream or ointment, go ahead, but use caution, as most topical creams produce skin irritation after a few applications. For a simple back-massage aid, stuff several tennis balls into a long sock, tie the end of the sock, and have your partner roll it over your back.

Thanks for reading