Back Pain and Lower Back Pain
What is back pain and it's causes?
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There can't be anyone who hasn't suffered from some kind of a backache or back pain at some time in their life. Back pain comes in all shapes and sizes, from the mild twinge which passes in a few seconds, to the chronic, debilitating pain caused by a damaged disk or vertebra. A back injury can turn a strong, fit person into a bedridden lump of jelly in the course of a few hours.
Medically, back pain is usually associated with injury to, or a structural fault of, the spine, and it is subdivided as far as possible according to its physical or neurological cause; disk prolapse, spondylitis, osteoarthritis, arthritis and scoliosis are all terms which describe different structural problems affecting the back - a good medical dictionary or encyclopaedia will tell you more about them. A problem with the back can in turn cause sciatica or neuralgia, in which pressure on a nerve is experienced as pain in the leg or arm.
Many people suffer back pain which is not sufficiently severe to warrant medical investigation, and which is not related to any obvious injury to the back. This is called non-specific back pain, and up to 40% of the population are affected during any year.
Why are backs so troublesome?
Aside from the rare inherited abnormalities or damages done by accident injury, the fault lies with human anatomy and posture and habits that aggravate the weakness of both. The spine though a masterpiece of structural engineering has weak spots and standing improperly puts the stress in the wrong place. The wrong place usually turns out to be the lower back or more specifically the lumbosacral area, where the spinal "S" terminates in five fused vertebrae. This standing and sitting also puts enormous stress on the lumbar region. By improper sitting the soft, sock-absorbing discs between the vertebrae are compressed and the muscles weakened. Sedentary lifestyles and poor working habits can also contribute to chronic back pain.
What can I do about my back pain?
A huge amount of back pain is caused by poor posture and lack of movement when sitting, particularly when working at a computer screen. Make sure that you have a good office chair to sit on, with lumbar support; sit well back on the chair so that you back is straight; and get up and move around every 20 minutes or so to improve your circulation.
Driving is another occupation, with even less thought given to poor posture by car designers and employers. If you have to drive long distances, stop for a 5 minute walkabout and stretch at least once every hour.
If your job involves lifting, make sure that you do not try to lift any excessive weight, that you always lift with your knees bent and your back straight, and keep an even distribution of weight while carrying. It is much easier to carry two small bags than a single larger bag of equivalent weight! You can easily follow this advise as you are awake and in charge of your actions, but whilst you are asleep you are at the mercy of your mattress and bed.
Back Pain Relief
Back pain relief is vital to your health and wellness. Anatomically correct support is almost never achieved on most mattresses, especially when sleeping on your side, you encounter two major problems, as explained below.
First problem is the weight of your upper torso on your shoulder; even if you sleep on a water bed, when you stop sinking, the pressure of your upper torso will be on your shoulder. Secondly, your shoulder itself, as it does not allow your neck and spine to be in a straight natural posture.
Using an ORO mattress with it's unique Pressure Relief Comfort Recess and ORO's pillow solves both problems. Now the weight of your body is where your armpit is, and not on your shoulder, since your shoulder is now out of the way in the recess, below the surface of the mattress, which enables your spine and neck to be held in a straight, natural posture from head to hip.
