Low Back Pain Caused By Lifting Injuries

Lower back pain is part of our lives. Young or old, most of us will experience this at one point or another. However, the likelihood of getting low back pain is higher for people who lift frequently. If you are one of them, you may want to know how exactly it happens deep within your body.

What happens during low back pain?

Low back pain may start when the ligaments and muscles that keep your spinal cord in place get stretched too far, tearing your tissues surrounding the area. When this happens, the muscles get weak, failing to do their task of holding the spinal column correctly. As a result, the spine becomes unstable, leading to pain in the lower part of your back.

Pain, which originates in the low back, can also cause pain into the buttocks and legs.

Lifting Can Cause Injury and Pain

If you lift on a regular basis, you might be prone to injuries caused by the following:

• Ligament or muscle strain – Frequent lifting of heavy objects or sudden movements can take a toll on your back and spinal column. Especially when your body is not in its best condition, you may experience muscle spasms as a result of the muscles being overly stretched.
• Disk bulge or rupture – Disks cushion the bones of the spine from one another.  Inside the disks are soft elements that rupture or bulge and compress the nerves, thereby causing injuries that cause discomfort in the back.

What does low back pain feel like?

You’d know you’re experiencing low back pain when you feel:

• Pain that gets worse when stretching, bending, or doing simple things like sneezing and coughing
• Pain resulting from back stiffness
• Pain that stretches from the buttocks down to the legs

How long does the pain last?

Back pain that resulted from lifting tends to last from a few days up to six weeks, for acute cases. However, if the pain lasts more than three months, you might be experiencing chronic back pain. Keep in mind, though, that chronic back pain doesn’t happen very often. To make sure, seek the advice of a licensed chiropractor or physician.

What are the risk factors of low back pain?

Anyone can acquire back pain, even the younger generation. However, there is a higher risk of developing this condition if you have one or more of the following:

• Older age (usually starts at 30 onwards)
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Illnesses such as cancer or arthritis
• Smoking habits
• Improper lifting practice
• Depression and anxiety

Just like other medical conditions, prevention is possible when it comes to low back pain caused by lifting injuries. Some of the most common preventative practices are proper exercise, improving muscle health and stability, keeping a healthy weight, and staying away from smoking.

When lifting, try your best to avoid heavy lifting as much as possible. If you do need to lift a heavy object, make sure to keep your back straight, don’t twist, and use your knees when bending, instead of your back. Also, always keep the load close to your body and get yourself a partner if the object is too heavy or awkward to lift.

Sources:

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/workout-injuries-prevention-and-treatment#1

https://www.spine-health.com/conditions/lower-back-pain/causes-and-diagnosis-lower-back-strain

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002119.htm