Back pain, especially lower back pain (LBP), is very common. However, there are some people who experience lower back pain only when they are sitting down or bending over. This is because when you bend over, more strain is put on the lower back. This could be due to several underlying medical issues or a back injury. There are many causes of low back pain (including severe lower back pain) while bending, some of which are mentioned below.
Lower Back Strain
The bending position places excess strain on the lower back muscles. This causes the muscles to stretch excessively. When the strain increases, inflammation is a possible outcome, and this causes muscle spasms and muscle pain. There are plenty of symptoms of back strain such as stiffness in the back and inability to hold an upright posture. People who suffer from back strain issues may also have a limited motion range.
Herniated Disc
In-between each one of your vertebrae, there are gel-like formations called spinal disks and they help in absorbing shock that would otherwise be directed at the vertebrae themselves. This shock could be due to anything, from movement to injury. Sometimes, one of these disks moves out of place and places excess pressure on the nerves in the nearby region.
A nerve that is commonly pinched is the sciatic nerve, leading to a set of symptoms that are referred to as ‘sciatica’ or ‘sciatic nerve pain’. Sciatica is the reason for many cases of chronic back pain, and can become worse when performing certain actions, such as sitting down or bending at the waist.
As you age, your disks start degenerating, meaning they lose water, and consequently their ability to absorb shock decreases. This leads to easy displacing of the disks from the position. If the condition keeps developing, the patient may lose bladder and/or bowel control, as the disks place increased pressure on the nerves.
Spondylolysis
Back pain is not only common in older individuals, but younger adults can also experience it. This condition is common in athletes who are involved in a sport or gymnastics. Someone who suffers from spondylolysis has difficulty in holding an upright posture. These people also experience pain in their thighs and buttocks. Some people may experience severe pain when they are involved in an extensive activity.
Other Conditions
Other conditions that may make your lower back hurt include:
- Tailbone pain (also called coccydynia), which occurs at the level of the coccyx, a triangle-shaped bone located at the bottom of the sacrum bone, below the lower spine.
- Ankylosing spondylitis, which is an inflammatory disease that affects the joints of the body, and tends to start in the lower back, and can eventually lead to chronic pain.
How to Relieve Back Pain
Although visiting a doctor is always an option for you to treat back pain, there are various pain management and treatment options that you can try at home first.
But if you want to treat your spine through natural ways and without any pain medicine (including NSAIDs), you can use a special orthopaedic device to decompress your spine, as compression of the vertebrae may be the reason for your pain. The Backrack is a device that you can easily use at home as you perform a series of simple exercise while laying down.
Backrack Spinal Decompression Device
Precautionary Measures
There are many things that you can do to ensure that the condition of your back does not worsen. When bending, bend only at your knees and not on the waist. This reduces muscle strain in the lower back area. Other actions include:
- Do not twist your spine when you bend over to pick something.
- Keep your feet firmly in place when bending over so that you do not fall.
- Do not carry heavy objects that put excess strain on your back.
- Hold objects at waist level and keep them as close to the body as possible.
- Avoid sitting on hard surfaces, as they can exacerbate your low back pain.
- Consider wearing a support belt if your lower back feel uncomfortable.
- Make sure you have proper back support when sitting down to prevent lower back strain.
For home care, you can wear a back support belt. This would help in preventing discomfort and give you support. Performing some gentle exercises to stretch your back is also helpful in this condition.
Author: Spinal Backrack
