Chronic back pain has become the world's biggest health problem that leads to disability. The debilitating health condition often results from mechanical issues and soft tissues injuries. Generally, it can affect people of all ages but is more common in women.
You might have seen
your co-workers suffering from back pain. Aside from genetics and the aging
process, lifestyle factors play a vital role in back pain development. The
determinantal back pain hurts you from moving, sitting, lying, and results in
days off work.
Some people experience
short-term episodes of back pain, while others endure it for weeks and months.
Besides, there's another group of people who encounter the pain for years that
lead them to disability. It happens due to ignoring the causes of back pain.
In this article, we
will demystify the root causes of back pain and its possible treatment options.
Additionally, we will discuss how CBD can help manage back pain.
Lifestyle
Factors that Increases the Risk of Back Pain:
Several factors
contribute to acute and chronic back pain. Let us take a look!
Sedentary
Lifestyle:
In this digital world,
people remain stuck at their table for hours in the office. Unluckily, sitting
for hours is inadequate for overall health and spine. It puts pressure on the
spine that leads to severe back pain. Additionally, prolonged sitting causes
back muscles stiffness.
Aside from this, lack
of physical activity, walking, and exercise contributes to back pain. Reduced
physical activity affects the spine's flexibility.
Weight:
Obesity – a growing
global concern, which largely contributes to back pain. Extra pounds add extra
strain and stress to body joints and the spine. Moreover, it increases the risk
of osteoarthritis.
Job
Hazards:
Sometimes your job is
the primary cause of back pain, such as lifting heavy objects and repetitive
bending motions. You are also at ample risk if your job is related to sitting
and standing for an extended period.
Poor
Posture:
Prolonged sitting on a
chair without lumbar support increases the risk. Also, the disposition of your
computer screen and crossing legs during sitting put stress on your spine.
Improper
Lifting Technique:
Lifting heavy objects
with your back without using the power of your legs enhances the risk of
chronic back pain.
Medical
Conditions that Causes Back Pain:
Typically, back pain
stems from strain, muscle spasm, muscle tension, or injury. Some other medical
conditions that cause structural problems are:
Ruptured
Discs:
Each spine vertebra
cushioned by the disc is more prone to injury. The ruptured disks integrate
more pressure on the nerves and cause back pain.
Sciatica:
Sciatica occurs when
the herniated disc presses the sciatic nerves – connect spine to legs. A sharp
shooting pain travels through the buttock and causes pain in the legs and feet.
Spinal
Stenosis:
It happens when a
narrower spinal column puts pressure on spinal nerves and the spinal cord.
Generally, it results from degenerated discs between the vertebra. You may
experience the below spinal stenosis symptoms:
·
Numbness
·
Weakness
·
Cramping
Abnormal
Spine Curvature:
The conditions that
cause abnormal spine curvatures are scoliosis, kyphosis, and lordosis. The
abnormal curvature results in back pain and poor posture. Also, it places
pressure on:
·
Vertebra
·
Muscles
·
Tendons
·
Ligament
Home
Remedies to Lower Back Pain Naturally:
Folks! Back pain
interrupts your works and plans. Thankfully, there are natural ways that
include everything, from herbs to massage to ease the back pain.
Try
Oil & Ointments – You can opt for pain rubs that
block the pain sensation. For example, creams with capsaicin can block the pain
channels to ease back pain.
Massage
– one of the most effective ways to mitigate back
pain is getting a massage. Massage therapy reduces the sore and tense muscles
and improves back functioning.
Stretching
– you might be familiar that doctors recommend
exercise to reduce back pain. Exercise restores muscles and prevents further
pain. You can try the below exercise to reduce symptoms:
·
Cobra pose
·
Walking on a flat floor
·
Standing backbends
·
Press-ups
Moreover, if you are
obese, lose weight to reduce pressure on your spine. Involve yourself in
physical activities and fall asleep faster and sleep longer.
Physiotherapy
for Lowering Back Pain:
If the home remedies do
not work for you, you can opt for physiotherapy. Generally, a physiotherapist
recommends exercise to improve your posture and strengthen your spine. In
addition, the physiotherapist will guide you on how to modify your movements
during pain episodes to avoid flaring pain symptoms.
Surgery:
Surgery is rare and
last resort treatment for lower back pain. Surgery is suggested for patients
with structural abnormalities. It includes:
·
Unremitting pain
·
Nerve compression
During surgery, the
doctor removes the broken disc or fused the abnormal vertebra to help you
regain mobility.
How
CBD Helps With Back Pain?
You might be wondering
how CBD can reduce the symptoms of back pain that disrupt your daily activity.
A growing consensus in the medical community about the health benefits of CBD
indicates that it may lower back pain.
People enduring chronic
back pain may get relief by taking a regular dosage of CBD Oil. Research on the
net benefits of CBD is ongoing. However, some recent studies show the
effectiveness of CBD in alleviating chronic pain.
A 2020 literature
review by the National Library of Medicine reports that CBD antinociceptive and
anti-inflammatory properties ease back pain [1].
Another research study
on the effectiveness of cannabinoids and spinal cord stimulation indicates that
CBD can effectively manage pain [2].
The interaction of CBD
with the endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid receptors results in altering
the pain sensation. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory
properties of CBD make it an incredible alternative to other painkiller
medications, such as opioids.
Another pre-clinical
study reports that CBD interacts with our ECS that regulates pain results in
pain modulation. Further, it says that CBD is an effective pain killer without
any adverse effects [3].
You can find CBD Oil
and topical products for massage in the market. In addition, numerous CBD
products can help manage chronic back pain.
The
Takeaway:
The debilitating back
pain not only disrupts your routine work and plant also contributes to your
overall health. Whether your job requires extended sitting or standing, keep
your spine healthy to prevent chronic back pain.
You can try home
remedies, such as exercise, massage, stretching, and more. In addition to this,
you can incorporate a new buzzy wellness compound of the cannabis plant – CBD.
It is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid with lots of therapeutic effects.
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32421842/
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