Written by Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise
According to the 2000 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), ʻNearly 65 million Americans report a recent episode of back painʼ, making back pain ʻthe sixth most costly condition in the United Statesʼ, as reported by Georgetown Universityʼs Health Policy Institute. In the UK, it is reported that ʻ1 in 6 adults in England have some form of back painʼ, causing low back pain to be ʻthe leading cause of disability in the UKʼ.
Although these stats sound scary, you have got nothing to worry about: most causes of back pain can be prevented through easy lifestyle modifications. Here are the top 5 strategies that anyone can implement in 2022.
1. Resist The Temptation To Overstretch Your Back Muscles
One of the most common reasons for upper and lower back pain is poor posture. There exist 4 main types of postural deviations:
Hyperkyphosis (Upper Cross Syndrome); namely, an excessive curvature in the thoracic spine);
Hyperlordosis (Lower Cross Syndrome); namely, an excessive curvature in the lumbar spine;
Scoliosis (Spinal Twist); namely, an excessive spinal curvature on the transverse plane that causes asymmetries between the left and the right sides of the body;
Flat Back namely, the lack of natural curvature in the lumbar spine.
Regardless of the type of postural deviation, such a deviation occurs because some of the back muscles (depending on the deviation) become tight, weak and underactive, while the antagonist front muscles become overactive and equally weak. While your first instinct after a full day in the office is to stretch your tight back, lengthening already weak (possibly damaged) muscles and connective tissues beyond their natural range of motion (ROM) might weaken them even more.
Therefore, while it is ok to practise a stretching routine, it is important that you keep your back (and tricep) stretches brief and within the musclesʼ natural ROM. By contrast, however, you should spend more time stretching the antagonist front muscles (e.g. pectorals, anterior deltoids, biceps, hip flexors): this will relax them from being overactive, and, in turn, it will help restore the back's natural curvature.
2. Strengthen Your Posterior Chain and Core Muscles
The posterior chain is composed of all the muscles on your backside: calves, hamstrings, glutes, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, quadratus lomborum, trapezius, rhomboids, teres major, rotator cuff muscles and posterior deltoids. Some of the back muscles (i.e. quadratus lomborum and multifidus – one of the erector spinae muscles) also belong to the core muscles, alongside abdominal muscles (i.e. internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, transversus), the diaphragm and the pelvic floor muscles.
A strong posterior chain and a strong core provide optimal support to the spine, which becomes less likely to change its curvature. Subsequently, for as counterintuitive as it sounds, building a strong, muscular back is one of the simplest ways to reduce and prevent back pain. In fact, building strength in the back also builds more robust connective tissues and more dense bones, which, in turn, make your spine virtually bulletproof. Alongside your back, you want to build rock-solid glutes, hamstrings, calves and core to support your bone structure optimally.
Make sure you include 2-3 strength sessions a week, focusing on main compounds, and your back will thank you forever.
3. Watch Your Alcohol and Processed Food Intake
One of the least expected, most common causes of upper back pain is an inflamed liver, gallbladder, or both (e.g. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease). This happens because the phrenic nerve, that connects the diaphragm to the C3 and C5 vertebrae, gets irritated in response to the inflammation. Should this be the case, pain is experienced in the right scapula (shoulder blade); just beneath it or between both shoulder blades.
Although this is a less common cause of back pain, it is still a good practice to base oneʼs diet around unprocessed food, while limiting alcohol consumption and vegetable oil intake. In fact, this will not only benefit the liver but also prevent obesity, which has been associated with back pain, too.
4. Stay Active
It has been reported that a 10-15-minute walk a day can alleviate back pain. As a corollary, including walks and light activities in your daily routine, can prevent back pain. This happens for various reasons.
First, keeping active throughout the day strengthens the muscles surrounding the spine (which we have already talked about). Second, light to moderate activities increase your non-exercise activity thermogenesis; namely, they help you burn more calories, preventing weight gain and obesity. Then, moving around boosts your mood and reduces stress. As a consequence, the muscles in the body – the back ones in the first place – are less likely to tighten up and become painful.
5 Ditch Your Keyboard and Phone
This is particularly effective to prevent upper back pain. In fact, when the nerve root in C5 and C6 gets compressed due to overuse (e.g. bending your neck excessively to work on your computer or phone), the inflammation affects the shoulder girdle joint and weakens its muscles. Subsequently, you might experience scapular pain and muscle weakness. Rest, ice, heat, physiotherapy and manipulation are some of the most natural remedies to help with recovery. In the most severe cases, however, medication is also administered.
To prevent this possibility, it is important to spend the least possible time slouching forward or laterally. Here are some simple adjustments that anyone can make nowadays:
Switch your regular desk for a standing desk, or alternate between both;
Swap your regular chair for an ergonomic chair, and your regular mouse for an ergonomic mouse;
Use a dictation app instead of typing or tapping your phone;
Take frequent breaks to do some easy mobility drills;
Switch hands whenever possible (when using your phone).
I hope this strategies can help you ease and prevent back pain. Remember, maintaining an active lifestyle and an ideal bodyweight, eating wholesome foods, and spending time in the outdoors, are the easiest strategies we can implement to enhance the quality of our life and prevent most diseases. Even though there will always be variables that we cannot control, there will always be some that we can control. Let us focus on those, and we will have given ourself the best possible gift.
Dr. Gaia Domenici, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Gaia Domenici, also known as 'The Strongest Shield-Maiden', is a certified Nutrition and Health Coach, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Personal Trainer, and published author, with a PhD in Philosophy.
After spending a decade juggling between gym and academia, Gaia realised that body, mind and spirit are a whole, and, as such, they need to be trained together. So she founded 'Fitnosophy: Build Your Body Realise Your Self', a platform to share the spiritual meaning of fitness, and the impact of a strong body on a meaningful life. Following the sense of void and uncertainty left by the 2020 pandemic, Gaia founded the 'Shield-Maiden Tribe', a community in which women from across the world can share their inner and outer strengths, nourish their Inner Warrior, empower each other, and grow stronger together.
Since 2018, Gaia has coached countless clients and athletes worldwide, helping them get in tune with their Inner Warrior, and achieve physical, mental, and spiritual goals.
