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Low Back Pain Constipation

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It is quite likely that you may experience low back pain at some point in your life. In most cases, low back pain is not a long term condition and goes away with rest and basic home treatments. However, it's estimated that from fifteen to thirty percent of Americans suffer with chronic low back pain, disabling more people than heart disease or cancer.

One of the most common causes of low back pain is overuse of your muscles. This may occur from lifting something heavy or from doing some kind of hard work you don't normally do. These types of minor back injuries can usually be handled at home without a doctor's intervention. The best way to get low back pain relief is to rest the affected muscles for a couple of days. Lying on a heating pad or applying a hot pack of some sort is also an excellent low back pain treatment.

Most low back pain will go away within a few days, although a few weeks is not uncommon. Stay as active as possible and take ibuprofen or paracetamol. You can return to your normal activities before you are completely pain free, as long as these activities don't put a strain on your back. The main thing to avoid is further weakening your core muscles as this will make you more prone to future injuries.

Any low back pain that lasts longer than twelve weeks is referred to as chronic low back pain. Chronic pain can be attributed to many causes. Sometimes it's caused by repeatedly performing movements that are not good for your back. It may result from an injury or accident. In other cases, chronic low back pain is a signal of more serious illnesses or degenerative diseases.

Almost all of the causes of low back pain can be prevented with lifestyle changes and attention to your posture. Poor sleeping positions may lead to low back pain. Obesity or weight gain during pregnancy may cause stress on your lower back. Even seemingly unrelated conditions like smoking, stress and depression can result in minor low back pain. It's been proven that smoking reduces blood flow to your lower spine and causes disc degeneration.

Low back pain affects men and women equally. As you might suspect, back pain becomes more prevalent as people age. Most degenerative joint diseases are due to aging more than any other factor. In the past, low back pain among pre-teens was rare, but the introduction of backpacks and heavy schoolbooks have contributed to an increase in the number of children reporting problems with low back pain. School children can lower their risk of developing low back pain by not carrying all of their books every day and by wearing their backpack on both shoulders, balancing the weight evenly.

The best low back pain exercise involves gently stretching the muscles of your lower back, especially before you begin any exercise or exertion. Try to keep your weight balanced when you're standing up and avoid slouching. If you work in an office environment, make sure that your workspace is designed to reduce strain on your back. Low back pain is best avoided by maintaining an overall healthy physical condition rather than trying to concentrate specifically on back exercises.

If you haven't experienced low back pain yet, you're almost guaranteed to experience it in the future. By understanding the causes and how they result in low back pain, hopefully you can reduce the severity of any pain you have and quickly travel the road to complete recovery.

Low Back Pain Constipation

Low back pain is becoming a common problem is today’s society. The statistics for such claims are staggering. Close to 40 percent of all workplace absences are do to back pain. From 1997 to 2001 the workers compensation board received over 90,000 claims for back pain injuries. That was over 25% of all the claims that were made during that time. Although many back pain claims are made due spinal disc damage, osteoporosis, arthritis or infection it is often that the pain is not caused by any of these factors. There may be something that you can do on your own to try and relieve your discomfort.

Weak lengthen muscles coupled with chronically tight muscles (muscle imbalances) can pull the body’s bones out of alignment causing inflammation, compensation and even nerve pain. Back pain and especially low back pain diagnosis’ (spinal disc damage, osteoporosis, arthritis and infection) are often the effects of an unhealthy spine. An unhealthy spine is one that has limited mobility due to miss-alignment which is often caused by chronically tight muscles. When the spine is unable to function with proper mobility it will begin to degenerate.

How does one keep a healthy spine? Here are some areas of focus that can help you to avoid spinal degeneration and or back pain.

The spine is supported by a group muscles often referred to as the muscles of the “CORE". Strengthening these muscles will give the spine a strong base of support. Focus on the inner abdominal and other core muscles by performing stabilization exercises and functional exercises. Always maintain a strong posture and keep your abdominals braced throughout these exercises.

When low back pain occurs, people often make the mistake of focusing solely on stretching the low back. There are two common factors that play a large role in today’s low back pain complaints.

Cause #1 - Forward head and rounded shoulders

In today’s working world a large number of us sit in front of a computer with a forward head and rounded shoulders as we type on our key boards and focus on our monitors. For every inch that your head is forward it will add 8-10 pounds of strain to your low back. This constant forward posture fatigues, weakens and lengthens the muscle of the low back. Fix your computer posture by sitting with your shoulders down and back and push your chin toward the back of your head to correct your neck (cervical spine) posture. In addition work on stretching your chest muscles and SCM (front neck muscles). Hold stretches for 20 to 30 seconds for 2 sets on each side. These are the two tight muscle groups that cause computer posture. To take things a step farther strengthen the (cervical flexors) rear neck muscles and (rhomboid muscles) upper middle back muscles.
Cause #2 – Tight hip flexors

The seated position that many of us are in throughout the day also plays a large role in many low back pain complaints. The Illiopsoas muscle group located in the front of the hip often referred to as the hip flexors is in a shortened position when we are seated. This muscle is connected to the femur (thigh bone) and the lumbar spine. After sitting for a long length of time the muscles will remain shortened when you stand up. This will cause the muscles to pull the lumbar spine toward the front of your body. The end result is over extension of the lumbar spine (arching low back). Discomfort! The quadriceps muscles (front thigh) and hamstring muscles (rear thigh) also can play a part in this discomfort if they are tight.

Stretch the hip flexors (psoas muscle group), front thigh muscles (quadriceps muscle group), and rear thigh muscles (hamstring muscle group). Hold stretches for 20 to 30 seconds for 2 sets on each side. To take things a step further strengthen the gluteal muscles (buttocks).

Before taking part in any fitness or wellness program it is recommended that you receive clearance from a physician. If these strengthening and stretching techniques do not work it is suggested that you seek the assistance of qualified fitness professional and a chiropractor. Be sure to ask around to find the best available in your area. If you would like more information about this article and article subjects similar to this one, please e-mail me at or visit us at .By Craig LePage, CSCS, NASM-CPT, President of FitnessProgramsPlus.com

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About Author

Both Eric Comforth & Craig Lepage are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Eric Comforth has sinced written about articles on various topics from Backpain. Eric Comforth writes on many health and mobility topics.For more information on visit. Eric Comforth's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.

Craig Lepage has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Health and Fitness. Craig is the President of Fitness Programs Plus and a website that offers printable fitness programs, audio interviews/clip. Craig Lepage's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.

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