All of us, young or old, have all experienced body pain at some point in our lives. And this is usually because pain is our body’s way of telling us that something is wrong. Your body may be calling attention to something small, like a cut or scrape, which can be attended to with some ointment and a band-aid. On the other hand, the issue can also be more severe such as a herniated disk or an infection that requires immediate, professional medical care. 

That is why it’s important to listen to your body when it tries communicating with you. I will be focusing on the pain that comes from a specific part of your back, the lower back. Lower back pain is very common in the general population, and for good reason! The lower portion of your back consists of only five vertebrae, which is less than the number of vertebrae in your neck (cervical spine) and mid-back (thoracic spine). Yet, the lower portion of your back has to bear the weight of your upper body and experiences a lot of stress from your daily movements. 

That is why it is so important to understand how easy it is to develop chronic lower back pain, or any type of chronic pain for that matter. And how to avoid putting such a high level of stress on your body. I myself experienced chronic back pain at the young age of 21 years old. Sure, I would get the occasional aching in my neck or lower back after long hours of studying or a day’s worth of hiking. But, for the first time in my life, I was faced with the sudden onset of lower back pain that would not go away. At first, I was confused because I had made no significant changes in my lifestyle, so I refused to listen to my body for over a month and assumed it would go away sooner or later. When I did further research, I learned that lower back pain is one of the most common early signs of iron deficiency, a condition I had, and treated with supplements, a few years back. So, I am currently taking iron supplements once again to treat my condition. 

I could have avoided lower back pain if I had maintained a healthy, iron-rich diet. One of the many ways to avoid developing lower back pain is to eat healthy so you get your essential nutrients and keep your body weight within a healthy range. In general, people who are overweight have excess weight in their midsection, which can put stress on the body. Other positive lifestyle changes include maintaining a good posture, avoiding frequent bending and twisting, using proper techniques for lifting, and getting enough sleep each day. And although people often say that regular exercise also helps, studies show that high-impact activities can have the opposite effect. Therefore, low-impact activities such as swimming and walking are a better, and safer way, to increase overall fitness.

I made the mistake of not listening to my body when it asked for help because I assumed that I was too young and healthy to experience any sort of chronic pain. But I hope you do not make the same mistake. We all deserve to live a healthy life consisting of a good diet, frequent exercise, and adequate sleep. 

References:

10 Lifestyle Changes Help Prevent Lower Back Pain 

https://www.aurorahealthcare.org/patients-visitors/blog/10-lifestyle-changes-help-prevent-lower-back-pain

Lower Back Pain and Obesity 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4429997/

Can You Prevent Back Pain

https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/lower-back-pain-prevention