Back Pain: Symptoms, Causes, Relief Tips, Exercises

Back pain is one of the most common reasons for people to seek medical help worldwide. So if you’ve ever suffered from a sore back, there are things you can be cautious about before going to the hospital for back pain relief.

 

Back pain symptoms

Back pain may take several forms. Some people may have a persistent dull ache in their back, whereas some may experience sudden sharp pains like shooting, burning or stabbing sensations.

The pain can sometimes radiate down the leg or worsen with bending, twisting, lifting, standing, or walking.

It is important to pay attention to your back pain symptoms and describe them clearly to your doctor.

 

Causes of back pain

Back pain can have many causes. The main causes of back pain can be listed as follows:

• Fracture/injuries
• Arthritis
• Fibromyalgia
• Back hernia
• Osteoclasis
• Rheumatic diseases
• Deformities (Scoliosis, kyphosis, etc.)

Apart from these medical reasons, the following ones can also cause back pain:

• Exercising unconsciously
• Lifting heavy loads
• Stiffness of the back muscles because of the heat differences

In all of the above cases, if you’re experiencing severe back pain, you should definitely see a doctor.

However, some back pain is caused by being sedentary or other problematic lifestyle choices.

If your back pain falls into that group, here are a few suggestions for lifestyle change that can help you avoid back pain before it occurs, or that can ease existing mild back pain.

 

Back pain relief tips

Here are some tips to relieve your back pain:

 

1) Pay attention to your posture when sitting

Let’s admit it, most of us sit during the major part of the day. Spending 7-8 hours in front of a computer has several negative effects on spinal health.

Slouching in your office chair is the primary cause of back, lower back, and neck pain.

Support your lower back with a small pillow to maintain a good posture in front of the screen.

Maintaining the natural curves of the spine helps keep it strong and avoids back pain.

 

2) Place your computer screen at eye level

Not having the computer or mobile phone screen at eye level is also an important and common cause of back and neck pain. Put something under your laptop to raise it in front of your eye level.

Kompanion’s top rated “3-min office stretch” is ideal to relieve back and neck stiffness.

 

3) Pay attention to your knees too

Keep your knees a little higher than your hips while seated. Prop your feet on a stool if you need to.

 

4) Be careful when lifting things

Bending over from the waist to lift heavy objects is the worst thing you can do to your back.

Instead, bend your knees and squat, pull in your stomach muscles and hold the object close to your body as you stand up.

Be careful not to twist your body while lifting. If you can, push rather than pull heavy objects. Pushing is easier on the back.

 

5) Sleep on your side

To maintain back health, the best position for sleeping is on your side, pulling your knees slightly toward your chest.

Sleeping flat on your back puts stress on your spine. If you’re a natural back sleeper, put one pillow under your knees and another under your lower back.

Sleeping on your stomach isn’t ideal either. Put a pillow beneath your lower abdomen to help take the stress off your back.

Always use a supportive pillow for your head and neck. Your doctor can help you find the best possible sleeping position for you.

 

6) Exercise

Being sedentary is the ultimate enemy of the entire body. Not moving during the day negatively affects the musculoskeletal system.

If you have back pain, you may have a tendency to reduce physical activity. But on the contrary, moving your body correctly is way more effective as a medicine. Regular physical activity can help ease inflammation and muscle tension too.

Don’t forget that being overweight, especially around your stomach, will put more pressure on your back. Exercising will help you with weight loss as well.

Exercises for back pain

• Give your core muscles a daily workout. A strong core is essential to support your spine and avoid back pain. Core workouts also reduce mild back pain symptoms too.
• Do light-paced cardiovascular activities like brisk walking. This helps increase blood flow to the spine and stretches your muscles. Bodyweight cardio exercises are also helpful in easing back pain.
• Take stretching breaks while working. Hamstring stretches can help decrease the pressure on your pelvis and provide lower back pain relief. Hamstring stretches also help relieve pains in your leg muscles.

 

At-home back pain relief exercises

• Reclined Hamstring Stretch
• Hip Bridge
• Scoop
• Prone Cobra
• Prone Snow Angels
• Kneeling Lat Stretch (Child’s pose in yoga)
• Cat Cow Stretch
• Bird Dog
• Behind the Back Neck Stretch

You can download Kompanion to see the instructions, tips, and videos for these exercises, and to access more bodyweight exercises to relieve back and lower back pain.

You can also relieve your lower back pain in a short time with our “Relieve lower back pain” workout.

 

To sum up

By simply integrating these tips into your life, you’ll minimize the risk of experiencing back pain.

These tips are also useful for mild back pain relief. But if the pain doesn’t go away in a few weeks, you should seek medical help.