Why Live With Back Pain?

I thought I was doomed to suffer forever. Maybe you have felt this as well. There are many types of back pain and various causes, but I’m going to share some actionable steps to improve your situation. First, some background on my situation and how bad it was. My name is Batista and I am a former professional dancer. In my early twenties, a series of car accidents resulted in chronic backaches, a frozen shoulder, knee pain, and Achilles impairment.

I tried a combination of treatments, which helped me manage and pursue a successful dancing career despite these setbacks. Nevertheless, the agony of constant pain became progressively worse. Without a doubt, I believed I would be always suffering. 

I was mistaken. I’ve been pain-free for over 13 years now; I am healthier and stronger than ever. You can find some relief and benefits to improve your condition and help your body, too. I want to share what I discovered about pain, whether real or contrived, and how I permanently learned to get rid of my injuries.

Here are a few facts about back pain you should know

• Back pain is common; four out of five people suffer from it.
• In most instances, a severe illness is not the cause
• You can heal back pain and even slipped discs quickly

One misconception about back pain is that you need to rest. Unfortunately, losing range of motion by resting too much does more harm than good, causing your muscles to atrophy, bones, and ligaments to weaken. As a result, the spine will stiffen, you will lose muscle control and coordination which affects your balance, a severe concern in older adults. Furthermore, inaction will lead to a loss of general physical fitness that can produce depression and cause the pain to worsen or amplify.

You can improve flexibility mobility, restore function, and prevent pain from returning

Exercising the body’s large and complex group of muscles that play a crucial role in supporting your spine and that work to allow the torso to move, rotate, and bend simultaneously need to develop in a balanced way, so they work for, not against you.

Movement Biomechanics

What is essential to understand is that most disc-related injuries occur from repetitive micro-traumas within the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, often leading to debilitating painful conditions within the body. 

Example: Poor movement biomechanics while performing daily activities such as doing housework, carrying grocery bags, traveling, or playing sports contributes to bad posture and chronic pain. 

Pay attention to these few ordinary daily activities. 

Sitting

• Use an upright chair supporting your spine. 
• Place both feet flat on the floor. 
• Stand up and stretch every half an hour. 

Avoid

• A low soft chair. 
• Lack of back support
• Sitting with head drooping
• Avoid crossing your legs. 

Computer Work

• Adjust the screen at eye level
• Maintain elbows at a 90° angle
• Adjust the keyboard to ensure your wrists and forearms are parallel to the floor or slightly tilted downward when typing
• Maintain a neutral wrist position while typing where the forearms, wrists, and hands are aligned
• If necessary, support your wrists with a foam pad. 

Avoid

• Doing computer work in bed or on an unsupported couch
• Poor adjustment of the computer screen and keyboard
• Slouching

Standing

• Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Keep your shoulders squared
• Activate your core muscles to prevent back sway and protruding belly
• Adjust working station to a comfortable height
• Wear supportive footwear
• Use an anti-fatigue mat

Avoid

• Wearing high heels
• Slouching
• Looking at your cell phone results in forwarding head posture. Your head weighs 10-12 lbs., like a bowling ball, adding 5 to 6 pounds of stress to the neck muscles for every half-inch the head slumps forward.

Lifting

• Know your strength and lift what you can control
• Think about what you are doing
• Stay focused
• Carry and lift objects close to your body

Avoid

• Using poor lifting techniques 
• Lift without thinking 
• Multitasking

Postural Alignment

Muscular imbalances cause poor posture. If one body part is misaligned, other parts move out of alignment to balance it. For example, when overdeveloped, tight muscles push the weakened opposing muscles out of their normal position, a tug of war effect progressively pulls your spine out of proper alignment.

Healing back pain: A 2-step process

The first step in healing back pain is to restore the body to its proper postural alignment. Chiropractic manipulations, which address correct mechanical function are helpful as a first recourse. 

However, to permanently get rid of back pain, you need to develop the synergistic muscles around the injury with a good strength training program designed to alleviate unnecessary muscle strain and remove risk factors that lead to musculoskeletal injuries.

The end goal to speed recovery is to take pressure away from the injured area and educate the body to move correctly to prevent the vertebrates from going out of place.

Be aware that not all strength training systems are created equal.

Dr. Leroy Perry, president of the International Sports Institute in West Los Angeles, says: “An axiom in bodybuilding is that weight training is excellent for preventing back problems, only if you do it correctly. If you train incorrectly, you can invite back problems rather than prevent them.” 

Utilize newer and updated equipment that supports the spine, such as leg presses and lat pulldown machines in professional gym environments. 

Imagine a life without back pain! No more misery, no more irritation, no more isolation! 

Live without back pain

What would your life be like if you could

• Enjoy your life again, going to a movie, shopping, traveling, playing a round of golf, garden, all without “paying the price for it later?“
• Sleep like a baby without taking pain medications, waking up refreshed and ready for a new day?
• Start having fun again, going on dates, hanging out with friends, taking a new job, and being intimate with your spouse?

If your mind can conceive it, and your heart can believe, you can achieve it.