Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Backache has long ceased to be a typical ailment for our grandparents. Now almost 80% of people complain about various types of back pain. people. Sometimes they accompany diseases of the spine beyond our control, but we often fund them at our own request. We carelessly forget that the spine is to serve us for many years.

Back pain can have many causes. However, regardless of age, the spine often starts to ache because of an inappropriate lifestyle.

Nature apparently couldn't predict what a person would do with his body. We inherited from our ancestors a structure that allows us to withstand various loads, but not those caused by overweight, carrying heavy bags, sitting for hours at the computer or behind the wheel of a car.

Unfortunately, both excessive effort and lack of exercise hurt the spine. So let's look for the golden mean.

Back pain - the spine is a flexible scaffold

The spine allows us, above all, to stay vertical. But not only. It supports the head, stiffens the skeleton and protects the spinal cord from injury. Arranged on top of each other, the vertebrae form joints, thanks to which we can assume different positions without any problems. Between the vertebrae there are flat, flexible cushions (professionally called discs or intervertebral discs, or disks popularly), which, even with very heavy loads on the spine or sudden movements, prevent the vertebrae from colliding with each other.

The spine also owes its flexibility to its natural curves. Correctly positioned, it has the shape of two letters "S" standing on one another: the thoracic and sacral sections are stretched back, and the cervical and lumbar - forward.

The mobility of the cross, essential in everyday life, is ensured by bonded ligaments and the muscles of the back and abdomen. The back muscles, arranged symmetrically on both sides of the spine, usually work in pairs - when one contracts, the other stretches. A contracting muscle carries the bone to which it is attached and we can make a movement, such as a side bend. Conversely, contracting and stretching the abdominal muscles allows us to bend forward and straighten.

In order for the back and abdominal muscles to perform their functions, they must be strong and fit. Flabbilyor hardened or constantly contracted may cause severe pain with each movement. Sometimes they even make it impossible to move around at all. In addition, when the muscles and ligaments are overstretched or tense - the bones and joints of the spine deteriorate faster.

Important

We asked the Internet users a question: how do you lift weights?

Here are the results:

  • I always remember to do it with a slight squat - 40 percent.
  • I never think about it - 38 percent.
  • on straight legs, although I know it's wrong - 22 percent.

Back pain - the spine is a supportive pillar

The spine consists of 33 or 34 vertebrae.

  • There are 7 cervical vertebrae at the very top. They are the smallest and most mobile in the entire spine. Thanks to them, you can move your head side to side, up and down, and even make a circle.
  • Below are the thoracic vertebrae. There are 12 of them. They come out with 12 pairs of ribs. 10 pairs are connected at the front with the breastbone to form the chest. It covers the most important organs and allows the lungs to breathe freely.
  • 5 consecutive vertebrae are called lumbar vertebrae. They are the most heavily loaded when we walk, lift weights or sit. For this reason, we most often feel pain in the lumbar region of the spine. At the level of the buttocks, the lumbar vertebrae meet the sacrum.
  • 5 fused vertebrae constitute the sacrum. This bone, together with the pelvis, covers the urinary bladder and organs of the reproductive system.
  • At the very bottom we have a coccyx. These are 4 or 5 vertebrae fused together. It has no function and is an atavistic ancestral remnant.

So that the spine is flexible and the vertebrae do not collide with each other and crush each other, they are separated by intervertebral discs. They lie between the vertebrae on a thin layer of cartilage. In the middle of each there is a so-called nucleus pulposus. As it is filled with a jelly-like substance, the discs are springy and can act as shock absorbers when we walk, jump or run.

The vertebrae, stacked on top of each other, form a protective tunnel for the spinal cord. It is the most important information highway in our body, along which impulses travel to the brain. Spinal nerves depart from it through the intervertebral openings. By branching more and more, they form a communication network between the brain and the rest of our body.

You must do it
  • If your neck hurts.Soak a small towel in well-warmed water and wring it out. Put it on the back of your neck. Grasp its ends with your hands and pull the towel left and right. Do this for at least 5 minutes. The heat and neck massage will do the job.
  • Whena sore neck.Use a hair dryer to heat up the sore neck and nape, and then ask someone to massage them hard for a few minutes (maybe use a painkiller for this). After the massage, shake your head in different directions and stretch yourself, raising your arms high up.
  • When the cross hurts.Fill the bathtub with hot water and pour 8 drops of rosemary essential oil into it. Lie down in the bath for 15-20 minutes.

Backache - 4 causes of back pain

When looking for the causes of back pain, we should look at our lifestyle. We will then find out that the spine has four main enemies.

1. Seat

Although it does not seem tiring, it exposes the cross to considerable strain resulting from prolonged contraction of the muscles of the neck, shoulders and upper back. When the body is in the same position for a long time, the blood flow to the tight muscles is reduced. They become hypoxic, just like after an exhausting run. The lower (lumbosacral) spine and the surrounding muscles are particularly exposed to stress.

If we weigh 70 kg, then when we sit, our lumbar vertebrae are compressed with a force of approx. 140 kg. Although it is hard to believe, if it is incorrectly supported, the lumbar spine feels as if it is lifting up to 300 kg!

It's a murderous job, so it's no wonder that at the end of a day spent at a computer, for example, our backs, knees, neck and shoulders hurt. We have difficulty bending down, standing up and walking. Moreover, the neck stiffening in the sitting position causes problems with tilting the head forward and tilting it back. The effect of these tensions is headaches and dizziness, as well as pain in the shoulders and numbness in the hands.

Smart against harm: if you spend a lot of time sitting - try to change positions as often as possible. Every half an hour, walk around the room, stretch, do a few bends. Buy a swivel chair with a properly contoured backrest (it should have a bulge in the lumbar region) and armrests so that your hands do not hang over the desk top. Adjust the seat height so that your feet are resting freely on the floor. You can also buy a special kneeling chair (available at office furniture stores). While sitting, it forces us to balance our body, which is a great gymnastics for the muscles of the back and abdomen.

2. Overweight

It overloads the entire spine. However, the so-called abdominal obesity. Each new kilogram of the body in this place causes the burden of additional … 7 kg on the lumbar spine. This overload can lead to premature wear of the cartilage that covers the bonesforming the joints of the spine. And this is a straightforward pathway to osteoarthritis, which initially manifests as joint pain and swelling, and over time can lead to a significant stiffening of the spine.

Smart against harm: if your so-called body mass index (BMI - to calculate it, you need to calculate weight in kilograms, e.g. 75 divided by height in meters, e.g. 1.70 raised to the second power, example 75: 1.702=25 , 95) exceeds 25 - start losing weight. Do exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles, e.g. crunches, scissors. Sign up for a swimming pool and swim at least twice a week for 30-40 minutes. Change your eating habits: eat more fruit, vegetables, lean dairy products, poultry meat, and fish, and less cold cuts, breads, and red meat. Prepare smaller portions. Eat 4 meals a day regularly. Drink plenty of mineral water. If you are seriously overweight or obese - consult a doctor or dietitian on how to lose unnecessary kilograms.

3. Overloads

If we lift the weight from the floor on straight legs, but with the back bent - the pressure on the spine doubles. The ligaments may then stretch, and this, in the case of weak dorsal muscles, sometimes results in displacement of the discs.

The pressure of the displaced disc on the nerves coming out of the spinal cord causes not only severe pain that prevents bending, but also, for example, loss of feeling in the hand or leg.

Smart against harm: when you have to carry heavy loads at work - use a special leather belt that relieves the lumbar spine (available at he alth and safety stores). When lifting something heavier, always do it by crouching and bending your knees, not by bending your back with your legs straight. Never pick up objects from the floor while your torso is twisted (e.g. to hand over a package to someone). This is how the so-called prolapsed disc - and this causes severe pain. When carrying your shopping bags, always distribute the weight evenly between your two hands.

4. Long-term stress

Doctors created a mental image of a person prone to backache. He is a hyperactive person, often an intelligent perfectionist, rather altruist - working for the benefit of others, not for himself. Emotional trouble triggers physical reactions: reflex tightening and cramping of the dorsal muscles (we are said to tense up with nervousness). And when a muscle stays contracted for a long time, it constricts its own blood vessels, thereby depriving itself of oxygen. A vicious circle is created: the lack of oxygen increases muscle tension and makes the pain worse. So the spine is not enough comfortable chair, movement and a shapely figure -he still needs psychological comfort.

Smart against harm: learn relaxation techniques. Often, simple actions, such as "instant relaxation", are enough. When someone annoys you and you cannot shout it or smash the plate against the wall - go to the room where there is peace and quiet. Stand up straight. Take a deep breath. When climbing on your toes, flex all your muscles and clench your fists. Slowly, as you relax your muscles, drop your feet down. Bend your legs at the knees and let the air out. Crouch down. Place your hands comfortably on the floor and completely relax all muscle groups. You can repeat this as many times as you like until you feel clearly relieved.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!

Category:

Spine, bones, joints