Spotlight on Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention
For the third installment of our RSI spotlight series, I wanted to take a look at back pain. As you may have read in one of our previous blog posts, back pain in Americans is now at an all time high. The National Institutes of Health estimate that 8 out of 10 people have or will experience this type of pain at some point in their life, with 66 million Americans suffering from this ailment every year. So it only seemed logical to address this type of pain, seeing as it is the number one pain I treat for at my office. Now, there are different back pains that you may feel depending on what part of your back is feeling sore. However, many of the symptoms do overlap, so read on to discover what might be causing your pain and how it can become a thing of your past.

Tell me more about back pain.
Back pain can really ruin your day. Whether it's the upper, middle, or lower back, it all hurts. The pains can be anywhere or everywhere. Most of the time you can treat these pains the same way. Some areas need different treatment, but I will specify those areas as they come along. First, lets look at the different pains:

Upper Back Pain/Levator Scapula: Pain is often in the back or side of the neck. Sometimes the neck pain can travel up into your head or it can travel down into your shoulders, mid-back, or arms. Upper back pain can also be a pain in the shoulder, but whether it's the upper shoulder or shoulder pain, they both affect the upper back.  
Mid-Back Pain/Intercostal Neuritis: Mid-Back pain is sometimes caused from shoulder blade, or even overall shoulder, pain as well. It can also be caused from rib pain or chest pain. Further, it could be the result of side of the body or flank pain, and can also be a traveling pain from other areas of the body. Someone could experience numbness or pins and needles, or shooting sensations in the back or shoulder from other areas of the body. Also, pains in the mid-back, shoulder, and chest pains can travel down the arm.  
Lower Back Pain/Lumbalgia: Lower back pain doesn￢ﾀﾙt have nearly as many symptoms. These pains can be caused from lower back achiness or stiffness. Hip pain, tail bone pain, and side pain could also be a cause of lower back pain.

So what's causing my back pain?
Like most pains, back pain can flare up for a number of reasons. Focusing on the workplace, as I have found over the years this to be the biggest culprit of most body pains, we can narrow down what can cause back pain. If you are sitting at your desk or in front of your computer for more than 30 minutes, be aware that back pain is likely to come knocking. The same goes when using a smartphone or tablet, whether for phone calls, text messaging, or simply browsing the web. Using these devices for too long are sure to cause pain.
Posture plays a huge role when sitting at your desk or computer as well, and it doesn￢ﾀﾙt stop there. If you spend a significant amount of time sitting while commuting to work, or even at home on the couch, improper posture, as well as the simple notion of sitting, will trigger back pain. If you are working too much and starting to feel a lot of stress, you are also more likely to experience back pain. And as always, not exercising frequently or stretching or moving throughout the day will most definitely cause tight muscles and pain.
Finally, a sure fire way to give yourself some lower back pain is by having a history of sitting and not moving and then deciding to lift heavy objects or play a sport. Tight muscles with added weight or abrupt movements is never a good mix.

How to prevent and treat your back pain.
When dealing with back pain, thankfully, you have many methods of treatment and even more ways to avoid the pain to begin with. To start off, breaks! Breaks are the most important thing you can do to not only prevent back pain, but for preventing pains in every other area of your body as well. Whether you are on the computer, on your phone, watching television, or sitting at your desk doing paperwork, you must take a micro-break. I encourage my patients to stop and stretch out your body once an hour. These breaks of movement help to prevent cramping of blood flow and tensing of the muscles.
If you are forced to sit a lot during the workday, like many of us are, there are quite a few ways you can spruce up your office to meet your needs. Improving your posture is the best way to ensure the safety of your back. Always make sure that you sit with you feet flat on the floor, not crossed or folded up underneath you. Also, make sure to sit on the front third of your chair, and keep your chest up and bring your shoulders back and down towards your spine. This position will give you the best posture for sitting for long periods of time.
Next, check out the ergonomics of your office. Most likely they will need some improving. You can easily do this by getting ergonomic furniture and office supplies (for example a keyboard or mouse). If you are feeling pain while sitting in the office, you can also self-treat with a foam roller or TheraCane, which do wonders for the back. If most of your pain is in your lower back, you can also place a rolled towel or cushion behind the small of your back while you sit. This helps to support the natural curve of your back while still ensuring proper posture. You should also be sure to sit with your pelvis in a neutral position and stretch out your hamstrings.
More resources for easing your pain.
For more ways to treat back pain, both in and out of the office, you can check out our Pinterest board, Prevent Pesky Back Pain.
And if you have a question about your back pain, my brother and I are hosting a live Twitter chat on International RSI Awareness Friday, February 28th. We'll be answering all of your questions and concerns, and giving away prizes just for participating! So mark it on your calendars, and Tweet us with your questions from 2-3pm EST using #ASKVoom and @voomwell. You can even submit your question today, and yours will be one of the first we answer on Friday. We can't wait to hear from you!





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Tell us: Do you have back pain? How do you seek relief? We love to hear your feedback!
This resource is not meant as a diagnostic tool. If you are suffering from a chronic pain condition, visit your physician before beginning any treatment protocol.
http://blog.voomwell.com/blog/bid/375342/Surprising-RSIs-That-Result-from-Inactivity-Back-Pain