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Most common causes of back pain: workplace ergonomics, obesity and smoking
by Anna Sandner
Back pain? Try this!
1-6-2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
People around the world suffer from back pain. For those affected, the discomfort is often difficult to bear. Here’s how you can prevent lower back pain and what can soothe acute cases.
According to an international research team’s recently published study covering 30 years in 204 countries, more than 600 million people worldwide suffer from back pain, especially in the lower vertebrae.
Chances are high that sooner or later it’ll hit most of us. So, it pays to invest in prevention. Here are a few, low-effort tips to increase your chances of life with a healthy, pain-free back.
How to prevent back pain:
Move, move, move: Our bodies are simply not made to sit in one place for most of the day. And yet, many have no other choice, given many jobs require them to sit at a desk, car or truck for long periods of time. The solution? Take a cue from fidgety kids – use every opportunity to get moving. Get up once in a while, stretch your arms and legs, go for a walk during your lunch break, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ditch the car and take the bike instead. Every little bit of exercise helps. When added up, a bunch of little extra activities throughout the day can make a big difference to your (back’s) health.
Optimise your work station: Improper ergonomics in the workplace is one of the leading causes of lower back pain. That’s why you should make sure to have good conditions at your workplace, whether your work is physical or a desk job. When performing physical work, especially heavy lifting and frequent repetitive movements, it’s important you do so in a way that’s easy on your back. For example, be sure to lift objects using your legs’ strength and with a straight back.
If you work at a desk, pay attention to correct posture, which is in part dictated by your furniture. A desk chair should have an adjustable seat height, depth and tilt so that you can adopt the optimum sitting posture. That is, upright, shoulders back, with your back against the backrest, thighs resting on the seat, and feet firmly on the floor. Your screen should be about 50 centimetres from your eyes, and your desk at a height that creates a 90-degree angle between your upper and lower arms when gently resting on its surface. Your gaze should be angled slightly downward to avoid neck pain. There should be about 15 centimetres of free space for your hands in front of the keyboard.
Stress reduction and relaxation techniques: Back pain can be the result of tension caused by chronic stress. That’s why it’s a good idea to find effective ways of dealing with stress. These might include meditation, deep breathing or yoga. Even a walk in nature can help, or regular downtime accompanied by your favourite music. By reducing stress, you can reduce tension in your back and prevent back pain. And these techniques can even help in an acute situation.
What helps with acute back pain (spoiler: much of what also prevents back pain)
Moderate exercise: You might prefer to do no exercise at all when you have acute back pain, but it’s still recommended to keep moving as much as possible. Movement stimulates blood circulation, releasing tension. A protective posture can prevent muscles from hardening even more and the pain from getting worse. Of course, move carefully! A slow walk, for instance, can be a good start.
Progressive muscle relaxation: Reducing stress and relaxing is always good. As mentioned above, the recommended relaxation techniques help not only in the prevention of, but also in acute cases. Progressive muscle relaxation is often recommended in acute cases. In a targeted way, you gradually contract various muscles and then relax them again. This can release tension and relieve pain.
Heat: Just like exercise, heat also contributes to blood circulation in the body by releasing muscle tension and thus relieving back pain. A [hot water bottle](/search?q=warming bottle), [heating pad](/search?q=heating pad) or [heating blanket](/search?q=heating blanket) can help. Mind you, if the pain stems from inflammation, stay away from heat. In this case, you’re better off with a cooling aid.
Home remedies: If the pain isn’t severe enough to warrant a visit to the doctor, a tried and tested home remedy may help. Applied onto the painful areas, essential oils such as thyme or lavender work to relax the muscles and relieve the pain. They can also be added to a warm bath or used as a massage oil.
In the case of severe or long-lasting pain: In acute cases of severe pain, be sure to see a doctor. In this case, it’s important to determine the cause and find ways to stop it from becoming chronic. In some cases, prescription pain medications or targeted physical therapy can help.
Header image: Suriya Yapin/Shutterstock
Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.