Backaches Be Gone! How To Prevent Back Pain From Sitting For Too Long

Let's face it: while most of us have now started understanding the importance of exercise and proper health after the pandemic, one can't ignore the harm that comes from having a desk job. Sure, a lot of us want to earn doing things that are adventurous and that fulfil our desires, but most of them are packaged into a 9-5 job.

A desk job may be a lot of things but mostly it means sitting for long hours. The worst part about sitting for a prolonged period of time is that it can leave you with back pain. But the question here is how can one avoid these backaches while continuing their regular desk jobs?

What are the different types of back pain?

Let us start from the basics. What are backaches anyway? Back pain can be caused by various factors and they can range from dull pain to sharp shooting pain. As per a paper by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, backaches are of two types - acute and chronic.

Acute or short-term back pain lasts a couple of days or weeks. This generally resolves itself with a normal amount of self-care and exercise. There is no need to do much to it.

Chronic back pain lasts for a longer period of time. It lasts for 12 weeks or more. This can go on for a longer period despite an underlying injury or a proper cause of the back pain.

According to the paper, sitting may contribute to lower back pain which is a problem that 80% of adults go through at some point in their lives.

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What are the causes of lower back pain?

While sitting for prolonged periods of time can cause backaches, there are several other causes that may cause back pain. Here are a few causes:

Bad posture

While you may not be able to avoid those long working hours, there is one thing you take a look at and that is your posture. If you are slouching and slumping while working, that can cause a lot of stress to your shoulder, neck and back. This can also stretch the ligaments in your spine which may cause pain in the back.

The height of the desk

If there is no lumbar or lower back support in your chair then this may cause lower back pain. However, the height of the computer monitor can also affect the back. If the height is low or high, there can be slouching or slumping.

Sitting in general

Sitting can compress a person's spine which is way more than what happens when you're standing. This also leads to a decrease in circulation in your sponge and can strain it. So naturally, when you are sitting for a longer period then there can be lower back pain due to the same seated position.

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Sciatica

If there is a compression or there is irritation in the sciatic nerve which is in the lower back, it causes sciatica. This condition generally tends to cause lower back pain on one side which can extend to the buttocks and the legs.

Herniated disc

A disc which is in the spine and it is bulging outward and is pressing on a spinal nerve. Any disc in the spine can be triggered due to the same. One can try physical therapy or medication to treat this problem.

Spondylitis

Spondylolisthesis involves the vertebrae fusing together. It generally affects the spine and can cause lower back pain and even cause a person to have a hunched posture.

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How to treat lower back pain?

While for people who have a prolonged injury or have some sort of chronic problem, getting things to go better may be an issue, there are a few ways the lower back pain can be treated:

Try being active

The first and most important recommendation by any medical expert is to keep your body active. Whether it is going for a walk or hitting the gym, any sort of activity can help with body aches and ailments. But doing too much of everything can be harmful. So, any sort of exercise should be done in moderation.

Try using a standing desk

Standing desks generally encourage a person to change positions and stand for a longer period of time. It also helps in adjusting height from sitting to standing positions. These can be done manually and help people incorporate standing in their jobs all while not interrupting the work. As per a study (Call Center Productivity Over 6 Months Following a Standing Desk Intervention), it was noted that standing desks helped call centre workers increase their productivity. Another study (Sit-stand workstations and impact on low back discomfort: a systematic review and meta-analysis) also added that these desks helped with lower back pain.

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Using heat and cold therapy

Both ice and heat therapy are good for lower back pain. But knowing which one is better is the key. When there is an injury then ice therapy is better since it reduces inflammation and also decreases swelling. However, it can decrease circulation which may not be good in the longer run. Heat, however, is a better alternative since it increases circulation and may improve movement. As per a study by the National Library of Medicine (Superficial heat or cold for low back pain) it was noted that heat therapy was much beneficial for lower back pain.

Medications

At the end of it, one can start taking medications for pain when all other alternatives are not helpful. Many over-the-counter pain relievers may help with inflammation for a temporary amount of time. But for a permanent solution, this might not be it.

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Hope these methods help with the backpains.