Yes it’s true; often it’s the things we do daily that can contribute to back pain. Here are my top 5 bad habits that cause back pain. When patients first attend my clinic I go through a detailed case history with them to determine which one of the following may be causing their back pain.
1. Poor posture when working on the computer. This is a big one that I see time and again, a poor work station/office desk and chair that is causing the patient to slouch or round their shoulders. This type of problem often results in neck and shoulder pain and stiffness. If the work station is not corrected over time this can lead to tension headaches from stiffness building up in the muscles of the neck and shoulders.
2. Slouching while watching television. Television has become a big part of modern living, with many people watching one to two hours of TV daily. If you adopt a slouching posture while watching the box this can over time weaken your core muscles leading to back pain.
3. Crossing Your Legs – It may sound weird but crossing your legs can be very bad for your back, because usually we all tend to habitually do it the same way. Over time crossing your legs will adversely affect the alignment of the pelvis and lower back and may turn out to be a main contributor to your back pain. See the previous picture.
4. Sleeping with too many pillows; If you are a pillow lover you may not like me saying this, but too many pillows can contribute to neck pain in particular. The pillow that you should use in bed should only be sufficient to support your head and neck while keeping your spine in alignment. See the pictures attached.
5. Lifting with straight legs; Lastly, but by no means least, lifting with straight legs. This is probably one of the main contributors to acute back pain that I come across. Often patients will say to me, “I was fine and I just bent down to pick up something off the floor and my back went!” Bending down with straight legs can quite easily cause back problems especially if you have some of the other bad habits listed above. So if you are bending or lifting, use your knees to bend. Hold all weight close to your body as you straighten your knees, see the diagram.(All Pictures courtesy of Putmans Back Care Poster in the Clinic)
These are the top 5 bad habits, that I have seen time and again contribute to patients back pain. So make it your business to eliminate these habits so that you can work towards a strong and healthy back.
If you would like to discuss your back or if you have any questions you can contact the clinic or alternatively comment below.
Roma Burke DC AMC MMAA