Low back pain is very common. Most people experience it at least once in their lifetime. For most people, the pain is temporary. But back pain can become long-lasting (chronic) if a person has ongoing poor posture and body mechanics, unstable core muscles, ongoing walking (gait) issues, or if under stress and/or depressed.
Back pain can also range from something simple like a muscle ache to something more severe that causes burning or stabbing pain that is accompanied with other symptoms.
Causes of back pain
Chronic back pain is any pain in the back that has lasted 3 months (12 weeks) or longer. It can be consistent or intermittent over a 6 month period. Most often, chronic back pain is found in the lower back. Low back pain can happen anywhere below the ribs and above the legs. The lower back bears most of the body’s weight. Therefore, there can be many causes for pain such as injury, aging, pregnancy, herniated disc, compression fractures, joint issues, illness, genetic spine issues and overuse.
Acute back pain is commonly caused by strains or sprains of the tissues in the back. These are the soft tissues, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Typically this can happen when you lift heavy objects, injure yourself in a sport, muscle spasms, etc.
Remedies for back pain
DBC Machines have proven to resolve many issues in chronic back pain. Through repetitive movements, isolation, and gradual loading, DBC Active Spine Care can lead to early restoration of spine movements. Early restoration using these methods may be the most effective way to achieve long-term low back pain relief without the possibility of recurrence. DBC Active Spine Care is a treatment option that can provide early restoration of spine movements using repetitive movements, isolation, and gradual loading. The success rate for long-term pain relief has been reported to be 90 percent. In fact, many patients with low back pain who have undergone DBC Active Spine Care treatment have not had to rely on costly medications, other treatments, or surgeries.
The DBC Active Spine Care system is a set of advanced machines that isolate various back muscle groups in order to strengthen and restore health to areas that have been weakened by injury. Each exercise isolates a different area through exercises that extend, flex, or rotate muscles. These isolated exercises are performed using specialized DBC machines that effectively isolate muscles, helping patients reduce pain and disability while rebuilding supporting muscles. This process staves off spinal atrophy, which is common in patients with low back pain. By building up low back muscles and restoring spinal health, chances for recurrence of pain are lessened.
With acute back pain, the remedies are typically easier and quicker. Acute problems in the back usually resolve on their own and 1-2 days of rest is advised by most physicians. They do head warning to any rest longer than that as it may affect the muscles in the back in a negative way and make the pain worse. Physicians may also prescribe medicine or physical therapy. Physical therapy works to stretch out the tight muscles that may have caused the acute problem and strengthen the weak muscles that worsened the problem.
Preventing back pain
Back pain can be prevented by being proactive about your health. Here are a few things you can do to make sure your chances of chronic or acute back pain are slim:
- Muscle strengthening and stretching
By strengthening the core and back, injuries can be reduced as well as any constant pain. Remember, our muscles do more than just make us look lean. Muscles are there to support and aid in holding our joints. If we don’t have enough muscle to support our joints, we experience more aches and pains. This is due to hyper-movement of the joints and overcompensation of incorrect muscles. - Knee to chest
- Lat pulldown
- Back extension
- Cat-cow back stretch
- Prone bridging back stretch
Correct posture
Good posture is important for many reasons. One of the main reasons being the improvement of pain in your back. When our posture is bad or incorrect, it creates tension in the muscles, fatigue, and atrophy in the muscles used to form good posture. Certain steps can be taken to fix your posture and improve your overall health. Here are some good posture tips:
- Stand straight and tall
- Keep your head in line with your body
- Keep your core tight – be mindful
- Keep your feet shoulder width apart
- Don’t lock your knees
- Keep your weight on the balls of your feet
- Let your hands hang naturally at your sides – don’t lift your shoulders
Correct technique when lifting
Correct form when lifting is crucial to preventing back injury. Typically this is done by keeping a wide base, squat down (make sure to bend at the hips and knees), keep your back straight, hold the load close to your body, slowly lift. (using your legs not your back).
Staying active and eating healthy
Staying active and eating healthy are also key components to maintaining a healthy back. Sometimes, being overweight worsens the pain that is already present in the back. It also can be the origin of back pain. When the back and core are weak, this allows for instability and further complicates problems. Being active and eating the right foods will allow you to stay healthy as a whole, therefore, preventing back pain. Certain food groups are also great for your muscles, joints, pain, etc.
DBC machine for maintenance
As stated earlier in this blog, DBC machines are great for strengthening and helping with back pain. It also is used for maintenance of the back muscles. Because of each machines design, it builds the muscle, correctly, in select locations.