Lower Back Pain

Anatomy

The main parts of our back can be broken down into the spine (bone), discs (including ligaments), muscles and nerves.  The interaction between each of these structures allows movement.  Unfortunately some movements put extra load on specific parts of the back and makes them susceptible to injury.  Two of the main injuries associated with  lower back pain is ‘soft tissue’ injury and ‘disc bulge’ or ‘protrusion’.

Where is my pain coming from?

There are many different structures in the lower back that can cause pain.  The following are some of the most common causes;

· Soft tissue (Musculo ligamentous) strain:  muscle or ligaments are stressed to the point of injury.

· Disc Bulge:  As shown in the following diagram, this occurs when the outer layer of the disc gets small tears in it.  The inner slimmy substance ’bulges’ out and sometimes pushes against nerves resulting in leg pain.   The disc bulge can be likened to a car tyre bulge, the inside (air) does not leave the outer layer.  This is also demonstrated in the following diagram

· Degeneration of the spine:  This unfortunately manifests itself with most of us and can cause nerve impingement, arthritis and disc injury.

· Congenital bone conditions:  This can be deformation of a part of the spine, leading to nerve impingement or excessive loads on different parts of the back, causing pain.

How can I reduce my pain?

Lower back pain affects 23% of Australians between the ages of  25-64 ⁽¹⁾.  Most of the symptoms suffered can be reduced by actively managing the condition and being proactive rather than reactive.   It is a lot easier to manage the symptoms at a pain score of 3/10 rather than 8/10 (0 being no pain and 10 being extreme pain)!

Stand up! - Busy executives often get entrenched in their work and sit for hours on end.  It is recommended not only for people who suffer back pain but the whole population to stand up after 30 minutes and have a stretch. 

1. How much weight the discs experience during sitting as opposed to standing

2. Spinal unloading stretch.

· Setting a recurring alarm every 30 minutes is a good strategy to move;

· Have a bottle of water on your desk, drinking lots of water, you’ll have to get up a lot to go to the toilet!

3.  Increase your core stability - The stronger your core muscles are, the more stable the spine will be.  This directly correlates to a reduction in lower back pain.

4.  Good posture - Most executives find they sit at their desk or are in meetings for the majority of the day.  This equates to a large portion of your life so it is VITAL that your office set up is tailored towards YOU!  Poor posture results in far too much loading of ligaments and discs, leading to lower back pain

Left = Bad Posture
Right = Correct Posture

Spinal Loading

As shown in the table below, various positions put different amounts of force on the discs.  Perhaps the most surprising is that sitting puts a staggering 125% of body weight on your discs, which is one really good reason to stand up whenever possible!

Amount of pressure on the spine during different bodily positions

Baby Body Mechanics

Have you ever seen a toddler bend forward when picking up a toy from the floor? Have you ever seen a toddler who is happy to sit at the dinner table for prolonged periods of time? Innately, we are designed to squat when lifting (to prevent forward bending) and change our position regularly (to prevent our postural muscles from fatiguing). At some stage in our lives we become lazy and inherit bad habits when lifting and moving. If we can take note of how our babies move we would all have healthier backs!

References

1. www.abs.gov.au

For more information

Wesley Corporate Health

Level 2 / 46 Edward Street

Brisbane  Qld  4000

Phone:  07 3234 2600

Email: info@weshealth.com.au

 Disclaimer

This Fact Sheet is provided for your information only and does not replace qualified medical advice. The information provided may not apply to every person or all situations. A medical practitioner should be consulted for all treatment and medication.