Back pain problem are mainly caused because of poor posture. However, wrong posture is not just about habits. There are many factors that may disturb the balance of the bones and muscles especially while we move. Because of the imbalance, we can lose the fitness required to support the body in a proper alignment. Knowing the root cause of the problem can help us diagnose the problem and find a suitable treatment for it.

Habit

This is one of the most common reasons of poor posture that eventually lead to different types of back pain problem. For example, we might be using the wrong type of chair that is ergonomically not perfect. This way, we develop a particular posture for sitting. We are still able to perform various activities, but with a wrong alignment. Sometimes, in order to accommodate the changes, tensions, or weaknesses in bone or muscle, we alter the posture of our body. We complete our intended movement with this compromised alignment, which can be problematic for the back.

Nutritional Aspect And The Presence Of Diseases

Sometimes, the structures of the musculoskeletal system, such as muscles and bones, are affected directly by the conditions caused by poor nutrition, dehydration, and specific diseases. Because of this you may start losing the flexibility and strength required for good posture.

Muscles Guarding An Injury

When a particular part of the body gets injured, the muscles adjacent to the affected area start guarding the same. However, they work in a diminished way and gradually become weak. This creates an imbalance between the muscles that guard an injury and those that are healthy. The body posture gets affected because of this and results in back pain problem.

Wrong Choice Of Clothing And Shoes

You may be surprised to know that even your choice of clothing and shoes, especially shoes, can create an imbalance in your body alignment, making the muscles and the bones unstable. Wearing improper shoes can eventually promote a wrong posture by creating a nervous system feedback loop.

Weakness And Tension In Muscles

Even if the body is not injured, sometimes, because of repeat activities, you develop muscles that are either extra weak or extra strong. This imbalance is not good for your back. In this case, you will have a very tough time holding the body upright efficiently. Very soon, it will start affecting your posture negatively.

As noted previously, I’ve had 14 major back surgeries in my life. I can tell you this, until I learned a combination of of three things I am about to share with you, and used them nightly, and religiously, I still had back pain and sciatica throughout the night., every night. In fact, the pain was so bad at times, there were nights I couldn’t sleep at all. No matter what what I tried, no matter what position I was in, there were times when nothing helped to alleviate the back and sciatic nerve pain. Nothing helped until I combined the following three techniques, anyway. The three strategies are ice, exercise, and position. If you apply these three strategies, together, each and every night and not leaving anything out, even for an evening, you will begin to experience peaceful sleep as never before! The fact is, you don’t have to do a lot of any one of these three but you do have to so the proper amount of all three…all the time.

The first strategy is to ice the area affected by back pain, and the source of the sciatica (L3-5), with an ice compression brace. The brace is easy to secure and the resulting back pain and sciatica relief is almost immediate, usually within 15 minutes to a half an hour…tops! The nice thing about these back braces is that you can wear it around the house or even to bed with little or no discomfort at all. The ice compression brace keeps constant pressure on the affected area and the continuous cold helps to reduce inflammation, usually a source of back pain and sciatica. Ice compression braces range in price from $39.95 up to about $200.00. You do not need one that costs $200.00. In fact, the most expensive one I’ve seen, one just under $200.00, is big, bulky, and not the sort of thing you’d want to put on before bedtime. Stick with the cheaper ones, they work just as fast for relief of back pain and sciatica and are usually more compact, making it easier to wear to bed, if you want to do so.

The second strategy mentioned above is exercise. I am not talking about weightlifting here, I am talking about a tailor-made program of exercises and stretches, designed specifically for back pain and sciatica sufferers. The exercises, as noted previously (see other articles and posts in the series), are not the ones they hand you as they push you out the door after back surgery, they are designed and individualized specifically for you and your needs. There are several practitioners dealing in this sort of specialized, back pain and sciatica relief program. The cost for this sort of thing is reasonable, usually much less than the cost of time away from work or for cost of medication for pain. If done properly, and without the other two strategies, pain relief can be anywhere from a few days to a couple of hours. If exercise is done in concert with ice and positioning, relief may be instantaneous.

Third, and probably the most effective in the short-term, is positioning. The best way to position yourself, the only way to relax at all when the back pain is really bad, is on your side. Now, not just on your side but on your side with a pillow (a decent one not a flat thing) between your knees. Then, put one or two under your head, so the head and neck are in line with the rest of your spine, and then a pillow in front of your belly. The one in front of the stomach is to keep you from rolling over on your stomach, and also, it allows you to roll forward just enough to take the pressure off the hips from time to time. That’s either 3, 4 or 5 pillows, depending on the thickness and how much pain your in. The pillows can be simple, everyday pillows you have at home. You do not have to go out and buy pillows specially made for back pain and sciatica sufferers. The relief from this technique is immediate…try it!The three techniques mentioned above: ice, exercise, and positioning, when used together can be a powerful combination for fighting, and beating, back pain and sciatica. The fact is, any one of these methods will give you some relief, some immediate and some down the road. The combination of factors, however, yields results that will be immediate and long lasting…no more back pain and sciatica.