Low back pain has become the leading cause of disability worldwide! It’s time for workers to be alert

As early as 2018, three articles published in the international authoritative medical journal "The Lancet" pointed out that about 540 million people in the world suffer from low back pain! Low back pain may have become the main cause of disability;

In June 2021, The Lancet published a study conducted in 195 countries. The research team evaluated the incidence, prevalence and years of healthy life lost of 354 diseases. The results showed that "low back pain may have become the main cause of disability" has become an affirmative statement, and low back pain has also been "promoted" to the number one cause of years of healthy life lost in 126 countries.

One of the worst things in the world is that you are still young but your waist is old!

Looking at the alarming statistics, it is time for us who work at desks to be alert. So what causes low back pain? Who is at a higher risk of low back pain? In daily life, how can we prevent and improve low back pain?

What causes low back pain?

First: "Lumbar muscle strain"

There are two types of lumbar muscle strain:

Situations where the waist needs to be exerted frequently often occur in athletes and people who do heavy physical labor, and are mostly dynamic lumbar muscle strain; office white-collar workers or drivers who sit for long periods of time and often maintain a certain waist posture are mostly prone to static lumbar muscle strain.

The psoas muscle is a general term for soft tissue structures such as the latissimus dorsi, psoas major, erector spinae, lumbosacral fascia, etc. These interlaced muscles work together to help the spine and intervertebral disc support the body and complete various activities of our daily waist.

In daily life, most of the waist muscles are in a relaxed state, but when the movements performed exceed the tolerance limit of the waist muscles and fascia, it is easy to cause soft tissue damage; in addition, environmental factors, such as cold and humidity, can also cause aseptic inflammation of the waist muscles.

Second: Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is common in middle-aged and elderly people. As calcium loss accelerates, osteoporosis may cause chronic migratory back pain. The rumor that "sneezes can cause thoracic and lumbar compression fractures" circulating on the Internet is no joke!

Third: "Lumbar vertebrae injury"

Under normal circumstances, the lumbar bones that maintain normal lumbar and thoracic angles can withstand a weight of 100 to 200 kilograms, and the intervertebral disc has a certain resilience and can recover. However, if the load is too heavy, the lumbar intervertebral disc will undergo pathological degeneration, leading to bone hyperplasia, which will cause lumbar bone damage and cause severe pain.

What causes low back pain?

The onset of low back pain is associated with a variety of risk factors, including:

1. Genetic factors

A systematic review of 27 studies involving twins suggested that genetic influences account for between 21% and 67% of low back pain.

2. Women (long-term housework, childcare, etc.)

3. Poor lifestyle (such as sitting for a long time, obesity and smoking)

4. Social and psychological factors (poor social support, anxiety, depression)

5. Poor coping mechanisms (e.g., avoidance, fear behaviors)

Not going to the hospital for treatment or temporarily enduring the pain after feeling pain leads to a serious psychological burden; they are also unwilling to participate in sports or activities that make them feel painful, which further aggravates depression and anxiety, and they escape both psychologically and physiologically, thus falling into a vicious cycle.

6. Traumatic injury (car accident, catastrophic event)

7. Occupational hazards (such as construction work and many types of manual labor)

Although low back pain is very common, many people fail to seek medical attention in time for various reasons. The systematic introduction of the Lancet review has deepened our understanding of the risk factors and causes of low back pain. It is recommended that people with a high risk of low back pain have regular checkups and take care of their bodies.

There is a very romantic saying that goes, "Your heart and stomach are very small, please be nice to them. In fact, your waist is not easy either, please cherish it too."

How to prevent and improve low back pain?

In fact, improving back pain is not as difficult as everyone imagines. Once the brain learns, the body will understand. As long as you have strong self-control, your back can be "long-term and stable".

First: "Improve your sitting posture"

Your mother often tells you to straighten your back, and there is a reason for that! Avoid sitting with your back arched for long periods of time, do not sit for more than an hour at a time, and try to avoid sitting on the sofa or sleeping on a soft bed.

Second: "Avoid bending over to carry heavy loads and avoid sudden external forces"

Do everything within your ability. If you are suddenly subjected to force or have to lift heavy objects after a long period of lack of exercise, the lumbar spine can easily exceed its bearing limit, causing lumbar herniation and pain.

Third: "Keep your waist warm"

The coldness of the waist and back can cause blood vessels to constrict, which reduces local blood circulation, affects the nutritional supply of the intervertebral disc, increases the pressure inside the intervertebral disc, and causes more damage. It is reasonable to cover up in spring and keep cold in autumn, and you still need to cover up.

When we improve the above three living habits, the external pressure on our waist will be significantly reduced. However, if we want to fundamentally prevent lumbar disc herniation and improve low back pain, we still need to seek medical attention in time if there is any problem, and pay more attention to diet and exercise in our lives.

References:

1. The Lancet 2018, 2021

2. Low back pain: Do the right thing and do it now. Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy, Published Online: April 1, 2012 Volume 42 Issue 4 Pages 381-381