5 Common Back Injuries And How To Deal With Them

Back pain is a common condition that is brought by frequent heavy lifting, injury or a medical state.

Back pain can affect anybody regardless of age, gender or race. However, as one grows old, the chances of getting back pain increases due to the breakdown of the cartilage between two vertebrate joints in the spine.

Over the years, injuries have been associated with back pain among a large portion of the population. This has given rise to studies concerning back pain conditions as a result of injury and how to deal with them.

#1. Poor Lifting Style

When doing heavy lifting, either as part of work or a gym practice, it is important to ensure your back is properly aligned. Improper bending during lifting results to varied pressure in the spine that can cause injuries.

How to Prevent it:

You should never at any instance twist, pivot or do a drastic turn while lifting. Always point your legs toward the load and turn using your feet, not your waist.  Keeping the load close to you is advisable as putting it far will put more strain on your back.  You should also try to avoid frequent lifting or moving objects which weigh more than 20% of your body weight.  Never support the weight above your armpit or beneath your knees.

#2. Participating in Outdoor Activities

It is a common occurrence to see someone get a back injury during training or heated match warfare. Whether you are a professional or newbie, participating in outdoor activities can increase the chances of developing a back injury due to poor training.  Additionally, home chores such as bending over a workbench, cleaning dishes, cleaning out the garage or spending hours in the kitchen garden can put stress on your back just as participating in any outdoor game.

How to Prevent it:

Try to attempt to do the stretch exercise. This will strengthen core muscles which include abdominal muscles that are important for back stability.

#3. Lack of Concentration

Although heavy lifting has been linked with back pain, lifting of light items such as a paperclip can result in a back injury. This often happens because the right muscles are not engaged.

How to Prevent it:

Stretch exercises are important to ensure your muscles are flexible.  Always train yourself to keep your muscles engaged for the right activity. This can be achieved by pulling your navel toward your spine and pull your abs inwards.

#4. Long Sitting Hours

Sitting for long hours especially when driving, or an office or in front of a television will put a lot of strain on your back which is an undesirable condition for the spine. The prolonged pressure result to poor blood supply hence one deprives the spin tissues nutrients which may result to break down.

How to Prevent it:

Since sitting is inevitable, taking a break after every 20 minutes or going for a short walk can be the trick to avoid over pressuring the spine. Adapting the right sitting position is crucial. Sit upright rather than in a bent position. This ensures your spine is properly aligned.  Choose an adjustable chair to support your back properly.  In the event you find yourself in a crossroad on what to choose to rectify your posture, you should not be worried as No Back Pain HQ will help you choose and provide you with a posture corrector at a pocket-friendly price.

#5. Accidents

Accidents are a major cause of back injuries. Among them is whiplash, a common cause of back and neck injuries as a result of the impact on the car. The forward momentum may see someone hurting himself on the items in the car such as chairs or dashboard. The enormous pressure is then transferred to the neck and the back.

How to Prevent it:

Although it is not completely inevitable, back pain injuries as a result of accidents can be suppressed by taking precautionary measures such as using safety belts and equipping the automobile with safety apparatus such as airbags to absorb the pressure.

The Bottom Line

As the adage goes, prevention is better than cure, it is important to take good care of our backs before they get injured. The back is a very vital part in the body system and improper application of stress can result to permanent disability. In some instances, we may find ourselves doing strenuous work hence we need to adopt proper techniques to ensure we do the job while maintaining a healthy back.