In our surroundings, people often have low back pain. Its incidence is very common and brings troubles to our normal life, work and study. Therefore, understanding and recognizing the causes of low back pain, developing correct posture habits, and performing some preventive exercises will be of great help in preventing or reducing the occurrence of low back pain.
The following is a step-by-step introduction to the structure of the low back, the causes of low back pain, and the methods of its protection and prevention.
I. Structure of the low back
The main structure of the low back is the spine. It is composed of seven cervical vertebrae, twelve thoracic vertebrae, five lumbar vertebrae, five sacral vertebrae and a tailbone. The role of the spine is to act as a scaffold for the body and to protect the central nervous spinal cord. Except for the coccyx, there is a flexible intervertebral disc between each vertebra. It absorbs pressure and protects the vertebrae, while maintaining a certain degree of flexibility and extension in the spine.
In addition, between each vertebra, there is a hole on each side, and the spinal nerves pass through their nerve roots along the spinal column from the corresponding holes, which are distributed in the corresponding areas of the body to control their sensation and movement. The spinal column is also surrounded by many muscles and ligaments. They not only maintain the stability of the spine, but also maintain a certain range of motion in the body.
Second, the causes of low back pain
1.Incorrect posture
Incorrect posture when sitting and standing will increase the load on the lower back and cause muscle fatigue or pain.
2.Accident
Direct injury, incorrect lifting posture, sudden twisting of the body or excessive pulling can lead to lumbar injury and cause pain.
3.Degeneration
Daily activities, the spinal joints are subjected to a large load, with age, the joints degenerate due to natural wear and tear, resulting in low back pain or numbness of the lower limbs.
4.Bone spur
Joint degeneration can lead to bone growth and the formation of “bone spurs”, bone spurs may compress nerve roots or soft tissue near the joint.
5.Recurved disc
Injury, degeneration, persistent or sudden increase in lumbar load, will cause the rear of the disc muscle fiber tear, the disc nucleus pulposus backward and compression of the spinal cord or / and nerve roots.
6, excessive obesity
Overweight body will also increase the joint load and accelerate degeneration.
7.Emotional tension
Emotional tension can cause low back pain or make the pain worse.
8.Other
Wearing high heels, pregnancy, kidney disease, etc. can also cause low back pain.
Third, lumbar protection, prevention of low back pain
In order to reduce the occurrence of low back pain, we should pay attention to the protection of the low back and often do some low back mobility and muscle exercises. Correct posture can maintain the normal curvature of the spine, so that the muscles are in a balanced and relaxed state. In turn, strong muscles can maintain the stability of the spine to reduce the load on the spine.
The correct posture of daily life.
1.Standing posture
Head up, eyes level, chin inward, shoulders straight, abdomen and chest, waist straight.
2.Sitting posture
Sitting chair with a backrest, straight back, feet on the ground, hips, knees into a 90-degree angle if necessary, soft cushion or towel to maintain the waist arc. The chair is too high, you can use the footrest. Do not sit too soft, too high, too deep chair. Office work should choose a chair that can be turned, try to avoid twisting the waist. When driving a vehicle, adjust the distance between the steering wheel and the seat so that the hands and elbows are slightly bent, the palms of the feet are comfortable, and the ground controls the footrest. To avoid standing or sitting for too long, you should walk around for a while or lie down to rest from time to time.
3.Sleeping position
Mattress should choose about two inches thick hard mattress or add a hard board at its bottom, to give the spine a better support, to keep the blood circulation smooth. Too soft bed, too high pillow can sprain the waist.
Supine: Use a soft pad or towel to support the curvature of the waist or use a small pillow placed under the knee to make the back muscles more relaxed.
Side lying: a more natural and relaxed sleeping position. Knees and hips should be slightly flexed, and a pillow can be placed between the two knees.
Prone: a sleeping position that should be avoided as much as possible. The waist will fall down and bend too much as a result.
Get up: first turn the body sideways, put both feet on the side of the bed, use the hand force to support the body, avoid using only the waist force to get up.
4.Bend your waist
Try to avoid bending the waist, if you have to do things in a low position, you should sit on a low stool or squat on bended knees.
5.Lifting heavy objects
Avoid bending the waist when lifting heavy objects or picking things, should be as close as possible to the object, bend the knees and squat, keep the waist straight, hold on to the things carried, tighten the abdominal muscles, and use the feet to force to stand up. When you need to turn around, you should step and turn not to twist the body. Too heavy objects, should look for others to help.
6.Wear shoes
You should wear shoes that fit and are comfortable, and the heel should not be too high. High heels will cause the body’s center of gravity to move forward, the upper body to lean back, and the waist to bend too much.
IV. Precautions in life and work
1.Household work
(1) Mopping the floor
Use a long-handled mop, stand with your feet in front and behind, and keep your waist upright.
(2) Kitchen work or ironing
Adjust the height of the operating table so that the waist can work straight, and use a small stool to support the two feet alternately.
(3) Feeding children or dressing and undressing children on the table or bed, sit down or squat on your own knees, do not bend the waist.
2.Handling work
(1) Push heavy objects
The position of the arms should be moderate, using arm support, lower limb extension force and the combined effect of weight to push objects forward. Avoid over-extension of the spine or excessive pressure on the lumbosacral region.
(2) Inverting goods
When reversing or repetitive operations, the direction of the cargo should be adjusted using the movement of both feet. Avoid sudden lumbar movements or sudden force, and pay attention to the control of lumbar movements from time to time.
(3) Lifting heavy objects
Put heavy objects close to your body, squat down to get the object, and use the force of lower limb extension to lift the object.
(4) Carry heavy objects
The weight of the weight and upper body falls between the two feet, the spine is kept straight, and the two hands hold things as heavy as possible.
3.Office work
(1) the use of rotatable chairs, commonly used things should be placed within reach to avoid twisting the back.
(2) The height of the desk and typewriter, computer keyboard should be appropriate, keep the shoulders and elbows relaxed when working.
4.Driver
1.When driving, adjust the distance between the steering wheel and the seat, slightly bend your elbows and control the pedals comfortably with your feet.
2, avoid standing or sitting for too long, should get up from time to time to walk around for a while or lie down to rest.
Five, strengthen the activities of the waist, strengthen the low back muscle Muscle exercise requirements 2-3 times a day, each action repeated 10 times.
1.Cross-waist rotation
Feet apart slightly wider than shoulder width, both hands crossed waist thumb in front. Waist from the left to the front, right and back for circular gyration action; then reverse the activity, the same action as before. Note that the two legs remain straight.
2.Rotary tapping
The feet are separated by the same width as the shoulders, and the arms hang naturally. The upper body to the waist as the axis of the left turn to the waist to move the shoulders, the two arms swing to both sides, while a forearm and hand beat the abdomen, the other forearm and wrist beat the back; and then do the opposite direction of movement, the same action as before.
3.Half bridge movement
Lie on your back with both hands on the side of your body, legs bent and calves perpendicular to the bed. With the head, neck and shoulders on the bed, while the back arch, so that the chest, abdomen and hips from the bed as high as possible.
4.Prone back extension
Lie prone with the head to the side. Both hands are placed with the side of the body. With the abdomen on the bed, the upper body and both legs at the same time back extension from the bed, both arms straight.
5.Lion head lift
Lie prone with both arms bent and braced on the outside of the shoulders. Both arms straighten with force, while the upper body is lifted and bent back, and the head is raised.
Solutions for severe low back pain
1. Rest: Stop the activity as soon as possible. Low back pain is a warning signal, do not ignore its importance
2, lie down to shift the weight of the body away from the back: If you feel extreme pain in the low back, you can go to bed to rest, choose a comfortable sleeping position the following is a good posture: you may find it more comfortable to put your legs on a few stacked pillows or chairs. In fact, this posture helps stretch the spine.
3.If the mattress is too soft, you can put it on the floor or add a board under the mattress.
4, warmth can reduce muscle spasms when the pain. Wrap a hot water bag in a towel and place it near the location of the pain.
5.Massage the affected area with the assistance of friends and relatives can achieve the effect of relaxing the tense muscles. Massage process should be gently massage with finger meat.
6.Standing or walking: When the pain is difficult, walking and standing will be difficult, using a cane will be of great help.
7.Sitting: If the pain is severe, sit down should be minimized, if necessary, should sit on a chair with a backrest, put a pillow in the arc of the back of the waist, may help.
8.Avoid lifting heavy objects as much as possible
When the severe pain in the lower back is reduced
When your back pain is reduced, you must still let your back have sufficient rest, and at the same time, you can gradually increase the range of motion of your back. Low back exercises are very important. Please refer to the low back exercise guidelines and consult your physiotherapist for details. Please remember that proper back exercises and consistent practice can be very helpful in reducing low back pain.
Painkillers
They are effective for people with low back pain in general, but do not rely on painkillers instead of taking care of your back. The best pain medication is the one given by your doctor.
When to see a doctor
If the back pain is very severe and does not improve after one or two days of rest in bed, it is necessary to see a doctor. If the condition is so severe that there is a loss of bowel control or a feeling of numbness near the buttocks, you should see a doctor immediately.