What Are the Symptoms of Lower Back pain?

The physical structure of a human body requires great support which our backbone provides. From the neck to the hip, the backbone supports and stabilizes our physical structure. The lower back is the part of the backbone that connects the lower spine to the hip and serves the purpose of support as well as a shock absorber for the body. However, with the passage of time as it is subjected to incorrect postures, weak bone quality or any injury; it begins to hurt and cause lower back pain.

The lower back pain ranges from mild to strong based on the concern at hand and makes it difficult to perform daily chores. We use our backbone throughout the day unconsciously while we sit, stand, bend, lift in more or less every movement that we make the back is involved. The lower back pain can be a stabbing pain or a rhythmic pain traveling from the lower back to the legs or to the neck.

The pain we feel might also have a burning or stabbing sensation if any of the muscles or nerves are being pressed or is under pressure. The sensation can escalate to a point where we become dependent on others to get the basic chores done. A common symptom of lower back pain is the impact it has on your overall physical health. There might be a disc or two dislocated from its place and causing pain that sends continuous signals to the brain.

Causes of Lower Back Pain: What you Should Know

Lower back pain is caused due to a number of reasons. Incorrect posture is on the top of the list for a lot of reasons. The most compromised part of our health is the physical structure and its natural shape. We sit or stand for long hours, we slouch, we bend, we type or we drive; we do all of this without proper support, posture and considering the appropriate way to do so. The neck needs to be in the line of sight when you are working on the desk.

Your hands need to be provided with proper support around the wrists and the arm. Your hips require proper support to sit and if there’s a wallet in your pocket then you are causing the natural shape to bend unnecessarily to accommodate the wallet. It is necessary that you change your position every 30 or 40 minutes and walk around to relax the tense muscles of the body. Our shoulders are often bent, and the back is almost never straight.

All of this puts strain on the lower back which eventually begins to hurt. The pain we feel is our body communicating to us that something is wrong but we brush it off with work excuse. The pain then escalates to the point that we are unable to do our own work at all.

Another reason for lower back pain is an injury or sprain that any part of it goes through during workouts, exercise or any other physical activity. One can get injured during an accident as well or a workplace incident that leads to a lower back injury.

The injury causes pain and affects our daily routine. The lower back may also undergo pain due to calcium deficiency. This happens when the bone structure has an overall calcium deficiency and is not strong enough to take any stress or load.

Your bone structure may undergo degeneration or suffering through arthritis where the bones wither with time and the movement between them becomes restricted. The joints wear and tear and cause frequent fractures as well.

Basic changes in lifestyle can do wonders for anyone who is trying to get rid of or prevent lower back pain from occurring in the first place. There are some amazing home remedies to ease your lower back pain that we have discussed below.

11 Amazing Home Remedies to Ease Your Lower Back Pain

Stay Active

As contrasting as it may sound to treating lower back pain, small movements can make a difference. Leaving your seat to get water, photocopy a page or fetch a document from the opposite end of the office will do you better than you can imagine. As you move, all muscles and bones of your body are engaged, and their flexibility improves over time.

As the bones in the joints move, the fluid in between them allows for a friction-free motion which further leads the body to be able to feel active and more energetic than before. The purpose of staying active is to engage the whole body which then does not undergo any injury or instability due to sudden movements. The body and the muscles should be used to take the stairs in case of an emergency.  This is a small yet effective example to explain the importance of staying active.

Keep Stretches

If you already are someone who is enthusiastic about hiking, trekking or outdoor sweats and prefer staying active then you already know how important stretches are. Taking stretches prepares your body for movements and intense workouts. It releases pressure from the otherwise immobile muscles and tendons and allows them to move freely.

If one lifts a heavy weight without stretching out first, then you are directly putting your lower back in pain without any preparation, and it will be no surprise if your lower back protests in the form of pain and discomfort. The muscles when met with sudden movements often cause small tears or injuries to them. It is also necessary to perform a cool-down stretch once your body undergoes an intense workout.

Maintain a Good Posture

Maintaining a good posture should be your number one priority from now onwards. An incorrect posture can lead to deformity of bones and disability of a person if not paid attention on time. A good posture requires good support while sitting, standing and even sleeping. Your chairs and your mattresses should be firm and adhere to the natural shape of your body.

Consider it as an investment you make for your health and body. Even as you work out, your body should be well supported. You can use a sacroiliac belt to support the hip joint or use an inflatable lumbar pillow to support the natural shape of the back as you sleep or sit for long hours.

Keep a Healthy Weight

Your weight is an indication of your health. If your bone structure is being burdened by the weight of the rest of the body, then you may begin to think about losing weight. The bone structure of your body should be in a healthy state to support the weight of your body.

If it is not, then it may have to undergo some weight reduction to bring it down to an optimal level. The fat percentage in your body should be within the acceptable range to avoid your bones being unable to support it. A healthy body further opens doors to many other health solutions and avoids diseases. Obesity itself is a disease and may be impacted by the high level of fat. 

Don’t Smoke

Research suggests that smoking leads to faster degeneration of bones in comparison to non-smokers. Smoking not only has a negative impact on your respiratory but also your discs. The nicotine and tobacco in cigarettes can damage your spinal bones and suck the vitamins from it which otherwise give benefit to the spine. Smoking can lead to restricted movement and less flexibility in the bones.

Try Ice and Heat Pad

The heat and ice pad are required to provide spot treatment that effectively reduces the pain. The ice paid can be put in the freezer and used on any part of the lower back that may be stiff, swelled up or has inflammation. The pad will reduce inflammation and soothe the muscles. A heating pad on the other hand can be used to relax the muscles of the body where they are stiff and tight. The heat will allow relaxation of the entire body along with the lower back.

Apply to Medical Creams

Topical or medical creams are very effective to battle lower back pain. They are fast pain relievers and work instantly to provide you pain relief. You can buy them without a prescription and use them as per the given directions in the pamphlet that will come with the box.

The medical creams are harmless and have no side effects or reactions on the body. The purpose of these is to provide instant relief whenever required. The muscle ache, stiffness and inflammation can be treated with them. You can carry these easily with you and apply as per requirement and ease. 

Maintain a Good Sleep

A night of good quality sleep has a lasting impact on your entire body. There is no natural recovery method better than a good 8-hour sleep that helps the body recover and rejuvenate cells properly. The mattress you sleep on must be firm and back supporting, your pillow should not be hard, and your neck shouldn’t be in an uncomfortable position.

The muscles, tendons and bones in your body require rest that you must provide through sleep. Keep a well-ventilated room and invest in a mattress that keeps your back in a comfortable yet supportive position.

Reduce or Manage Stress

Reducing stress is very important for not just your back but overall physical health. Stress is the reason behind a lot of muscle tension and spasms that goes all the way from the lower back to the top of the neck. There is a need to include yoga or any form of mindful meditation in life that will help you sideline the issues and problems in life that affect you negatively and in a relaxed state of mind begin to solve them one by one.

It is good to perform muscle relaxation exercises and yoga as it not only removes stress from life but also adds focus and flexibility to your body. Enroll yourself with an instructor to get proper guided movements to boost your physical health.

Switch your Shoes

Are you wearing appropriate shoes for the work that you do? Workout, exercise, jogging even regular wear shoes need to have a sole that supports and adds comfort to life. Shoes that are not comfortable will give you lower back pain as your heel will take in the pressure that will travel along your legs to your back. The sole of the shoe holds more importance in material, design and shape than the rest of the part as it adds support to the muscles of the foot and leg.

Consult a doctor

It is not necessary to be adamant to continue treating your lower back pain at home if nothing is helping you. Sometimes the diagnosis of your lower back pain can only be done by an expert and require tests need to be taken. If your pain keeps coming back to you again and again then you may have to book an appointment to find the root cause of your lower back pain.

The doctor will find the issue that triggers your back pain and suggest appropriate treatment to get rid of it. It is a common practice that the doctor may ask you to make certain changes in your lifestyles such as your diet and exercise regime to rid of the pain once and for all.

Conclusion

Research suggests that many people become disabled not by birth but rather due to lower back pain. This statement tells us how important it is to pay attention to the physical health of our body and keep an eye on it. The lower back is a part of our body that supports us while performing most of our movements. The lower back often undergoes injury, muscle spasm or any other similar issue. The injury can also be caused due to prolonged bad posture that makes the backbone rather deformed.

The back contains discs and tendons that may undergo pressure and dislocate from their position. This is an extreme case of lower back pain where the recovery is slow and more casualness towards it may lead to concerns of restricted movement. It is necessary to switch to healthy habits where life becomes easy for you today and tomorrow. Pay attention to your posture, the diet that you take and the rest that you get. Ensure you get the complete required vitamin intake and take a supplement to cater to any deficiency that may occur.