To avoid and relieve low back pain, body mechanics may be key. According to a news release from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, to steer clear of lower back pain: arch is good, flat is bad. Chronic lower back pain is caused by damage to the discs in the lower part of the back, and much of that damage is caused by poor body mechanics, such as the way people walk, stand, lift, reach, carry, and sit and sleep, in which the back is too often flat and not arched, according to Wake Forest.
Chronic lower back pain, which the kind that lasts for more than 3 months, is more debilitating than acute lower back pain and is more difficult to treat. The Wake Forest news release notes that cute lower back pain is generally short-lived and results from injury to the lower back incurred during sustained physical activity or by a sudden jolt.
Tadhg O’Gara, MD, states, “The key to avoiding lower back pain is keeping pressure off your lower lumbar discs. That means keeping an arch to your lower back.” O’Gara adds, “People who haven’t had lower back pain don’t realize how painful it is. And many health care providers don’t realize how painful it is.”
Kristopher Karvelas, MD, says, “Patients need to recognize that posture and activity are crucial in relieving and preventing back pain. They need to learn what exercises to do on their own and how to do them properly to prevent future flare-ups..”
Karvelas explains, “We can help resolve acute back pain episodes, but when we are talking about chronic back pain, the pain may never resolve completely. However, we do use a team approach to treat patients and teach people how to cope with their pain effectively.”
Source: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
