Everyone is familiar with the feeling of having neck and back pain at some point, whether you’re a lifelong athlete or just a sedentary office worker. Back and neck pain can be one of the most annoying things you have to deal with and they will destroy your productivity, not only that, they can literally cause you to stay sedentary for weeks. But why does that even happen and what are the issues that cause this in the first place.
Factors that cause back and neck pain:
Age:
There is no doubt in mind that age has a lot to do with your back and neck health. Osteoporosis and arthritis become the number one enemy when you pass the 60-year-old mark. It causes stiffness, joint pain, discomfort, cracking, and other major issues with bone density, tendon flexibility, and lubrication around the back and neck. However, these back and neck issues seem to be aggravated if someone’s past has been filled with neck injuries or if they worked in a job where their neck was exposed to a lot of trauma. Builders, as well as labor workers, are known for experiencing back and neck problems as early as 30 years old.
Posture:
It’s not the computer that is causing our neck pain, it’s the way we use it. When we sit in a fixed position with our neck unsupported for hours at a time, it’s obviously going to weaken the muscles and cause stiffness in the long run. Posture is one of those things that you have to just nip it in the bud because if you develop one bad posture habit such as collapsing your chest, it’ll be followed by collapsing your shoulders dropping your head, and curving your spine.
Sleep:
Sleep has to be the most underrated part of the day that people just don’t appreciate enough. It’s when our mind finally gets some rest, but we often ruin this period by sleeping badly. Our neck and back are bones, ligaments, and muscles that need healing, but if we’re sleeping less than 6 hours a day or sleeping poorly, this can affect the integrity of our spine which causes neck and back pain.
Stress:
If you’re overloaded with stress all day, your neck will tighten up and cause some issues. In some cases, neck pain can be so severe that it causes headaches. Stress is definitely something you want to avoid not just for your mental health, but also for your physical health.
Weight gain:
Our spine does not have an unlimited amount of weight that it can support, a smaller frame is made to support a lighter load. Weight gain is a direct load on the back and neck and this is especially true if the weight gain is extreme and sudden. If someone gains over 70 pounds in a short amount of time, they will put their back in a vulnerable position. Just imagine yourself except you have to get strapped to 70 pounds, at some point, the back or neck are going to give out.
The takeaway:
There are obviously a lot of factors that can cause neck and back pain, the goal is to identify them and find solutions you can opt for. Whether it’s the lack of quality sleep, injuries, or posture, work on it before it’s too late.
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