What are common causes of back pain?

About 60 to 80 percent of people between the ages of 30 and 60 suffer from back pain. Finding the cause of this is not always easy. A distinction is made between specific and non-specific back pain. While specific pain can be triggered by a herniated disc or arthrosis, for example, the causes of non-specific pain are often unclear.

Poor posture or sitting with a hunched back can have a lasting negative effect on your back. But even a permanent, one-sided load can push the vertebrae out of the right position and lead to pain. A sedentary lifestyle, pregnancy and being overweight can also cause the affected person to suffer from pain.

How does this pain arise?

Back pain is a multifactorial process. This means that there is not just the "ONE" cause. Pain in the back is caused, among other things, by slowly increasing degenerative changes (intervertebral discs, vertebral joints, ligament structures, bones, etc.) in the spine or by tension, especially in the area of the small postural muscles which are responsible for the so-called segment stability (musculi multifidi) or by muscle breakdown . Above all, people who work in an office job often have the problem that there is too little movement here and the muscles in the back break down or are not built up at all. This also applies to overweight. The body simply has to carry too much weight. The back is thus overloaded, muscles are shortened or overloaded. The wrong posture can also cause muscle shortening in the back, which then leads to back pain.

Why should back pain be taken seriously?

Back pain is no joke. It is perfectly normal for people to experience back pain at some point. This is harmless if they have disappeared again within the next 2-3 days. However, if these remain longer, the person concerned should definitely get to the bottom of the causes.

The German Spine Center Apex-Spine is ideal here and ensures that the pain does not become chronic, provided it is recognized and treated early enough. Chronic pain in the back severely restricts the quality of life, as those affected can only do a few activities due to the severe pain.

What can be the long-term consequences of ignoring back pain?

In this case, the back pain can become chronic. If this is present for more than six weeks, it is referred to as chronic pain. Back pain, if ignored for too long, can lead to severe muscle tension, which can spread throughout the back and cause pain in the neck and head.

Numbness in arms and legs can also occur. This is especially the case when muscles are pinched or an intervertebral disc is displaced. Back pain can also cause a certain inability to move and a tingling sensation in the body.

How can you prevent the most common causes?

Getting enough exercise is the easiest way to prevent back pain. Above all, people who work in the office can use special exercises on a chair to strengthen their back muscles and sit more upright. In addition, some exercises are suitable for strengthening the muscles in the back at the same time. Getting up regularly, climbing stairs or long walks in the fresh air can also help to strengthen your back and relieve tension.

However, competitive sports should definitely be avoided if you already have back problems. This leads to overload and often has the opposite effect.