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How to get rid of back pain and live healthy?
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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As everyone knows, the spine is one of the most important human organs, responsible for many different vital functions. Due to its flexible structure, it serves as a support for all human organs, protecting them and cushioning all shocks and impacts during movement.
However, the older a person gets, the less load the spine can withstand. Its cartilaginous formations, which helped us feel so mobile and agile in our youth, begin to ossify and lose their flexibility with age.
Our lifestyle plays a significant role in this. Constant sitting, low mobility and uncomfortable positions lead to deformations in the spine, the appearance of pain and systemic changes in the structure of the spine.
If such a process has begun, it cannot be ignored, as this is a direct path to numerous diseases that can become chronic over time.
Stiffness of movement, discomfort in the lower back and rapid fatigue are symptoms that may be harbingers of the development of osteochondrosis and more serious back problems.
So how can you avoid these troubles and not become a victim of your own carelessness?
If you sit, then sit correctly
The spine suffers the most when we sit.
It seems incredible, but the load on it is greater when we sit than when we stand. The fact that some people are forced to sit at work is not so bad, the worst thing is the posture we adopt while sitting. The most harmful position is sitting with a forward bend.
Shoes
An equally important factor is what we wear.
When choosing shoes, pay attention to the sole. With each step, the foot should "spring" and soften the load. And when wearing shoes with a hard sole and/or high heel, each step taken is reflected as a blow to the spine.
[ Smoking
We all know that we are what we eat. But what about what we breathe?
After all, smoking provokes vasoconstriction. According to research by Finnish scientists, back pain attacks of unclear etiology are more common in smokers than in non-smokers. Smoking increases the risk of pain in the lumbar region by 30-35%.
Loads
Sport is life.
But are we so prepared for physical activity that it is safe for us? If you regularly visit the gym or work out under the guidance of an experienced physiotherapist, you have nothing to worry about, because your back is prepared for the test of weights. But if your ultimate dream after a hard day of sitting in the office and tiring work with a "mouse" is a sofa at home with a remote control in hand and a delicious dinner. Then everything may not be so cloudless.
After all, lifting heavy objects becomes the number one cause of exacerbation of osteochondrosis and formation of intervertebral disc herniations. In particular, a person feels sharp pain after lifting heavy objects abruptly, with a jerk. This should never be done. Try not to lift heavy objects over 15 kg, do not carry heavy objects in one hand, and do not bend over when carrying a heavy load.
Sleeping position
But at least at home, in my soft bed, nothing threatens me anymore!
Not so. Our night's rest can also lead to back pain. It would seem that the body should relax, but unnatural positions, a bed that is too soft or hard, and a pillow that is too big can cause pain in the back and neck area. Therefore, you should not sleep on feather beds or on bare boards, going from one extreme to another. The bed should be comfortable and moderately hard, and the pillow should not resemble a trampoline.
Excess weight
- "Stop eating, you've already gained weight!"
- "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!"
But what does excess weight have to do with it? Well, here's what it has to do with it. Weight problems can cause back problems due to the shift in the center of gravity and, as a result, increased load on the lower back.
So what to do?
If you already feel pain, do not hesitate, consult your doctor and start training. And even better, contact a professional physiotherapist who will be able to select the most suitable system of exercises and loads for you. And then you and your spine will be guaranteed to be healthy. And ignoring problems and limiting physical activity will only aggravate the problem.