Everything in life is a little bit more difficult and taxing when you’re also dealing with back pain. As one of the most common chronic ailments that people suffer, back pain is practically universal, but we may make it harder on ourselves than it has to be. There are many unexpected causes of back pain that you can avoid if you know what to look for and make the right changes.
Tobacco Smoking Habits
As strange as it sounds, smoking tobacco products can negatively impact other parts of your body besides the lungs and heart. Smoking tobacco is known to reduce the oxygen level of the body overall. With less oxygen to go around, muscles can’t work as efficiently as they should, including the ones in your back. There are plenty of reasons to give up smoking, but this could be the one that helps you get over the hump.
Exercise That’s Too Intense
It’s fairly well known that being too sedentary can lead to back pain if you aren’t sitting with good posture. One unexpected cause of back pain is exercise that is too rigorous and can be bad for your back. Specifically, going too hard too fast can lead to back pain, such as lifting too much in one go or not taking enough time to rest between workouts.
Your Choice of Clothing
What you choose to wear on a regular basis could have a more profound effect on your back than you might realize. Super heavy clothes, specifically coats and jackets, can put extra weight and strain on your back and shoulders. Even more common are shoes that don’t fit or support you fully. If your footwear gives you trouble, you should donate those shoes and find a new pair that isn’t too tight and provides adequate arch support to help relieve back pain.
Wallets and Purses
Two things that most of us keep close by almost all the time, wallets and purses can result in serious back pain over time. Sitting on a wallet that you keep in your back pocket for a long time can absolutely affect your spine and back muscles negatively. Large and overly heavy purses can also affect the spine and introduce a neck tilt that strains your back more and more the longer you keep it on your shoulder.
Not Drinking Enough Water
Of course, drinking water is important. For back pain sufferers, it’s a good habit to stay hydrated because of how your back works. The discs in your spine that act like shock absorbers heavily rely on water. If you get dehydrated, these discs can’t do their job properly, leading to improper weight distribution and more back pain.
All these little causes can add up quickly to serious back pain. With just a few small adjustments, you can better position yourself to prevent even more pain from developing.
