Back Pain Myths & Facts.

The Truth About Back Pain. It might be a sharp stab. It might be a dull ache. Sooner or later, eight out of 10 of us will have back pain. Back pain is common -- and so are back pain myths. See if you can tell the myths from the facts.

Always sit up straight to prevent back pain. Okay, slouching is bad for your back. But sitting up too straight too still for too long can be a strain on the back. If you sit a lot, try this a few times a day: Lean back in your chair with your feet on the floor and a slight curve in your back. Even better: Try standing for part of the day, while on the phone or while reading work materials.

Lifting heavy objects hurts your back. It's not necessarily how much you lift, it's how you lift. Of course you shouldn't lift anything that might be too heavy for you. When you lift, squat close to the object with your back straight and head up. Stand, using your legs to lift the load. Do not twist or bend your body while lifting. It can really hurt your back to twist while bending and lifting with your feet on the floor -- as you might do when reaching down from a chair to lift a dropped pencil.

Stay in bed until back pain goes away. Yes, resting can help an acute injury or strain that causes back pain. But it's a myth that you should stay in bed. A day or two in bed can make your back pain worse.

Back pain is always caused by an injury. Disc degeneration, injuries, diseases, infections, and even inherited conditions can cause back pain.

Overweight people suffer more back pain. Staying fit helps prevent back pain. Back pain is most common among people who are out of shape, especially weekend warriors who engage in vigorous activity after sitting around all week. And as you might guess, obesity stresses the back.

Skinny people don't get back pain. Anyone can get back pain. In fact, people who are too thin, such as those suffering from anorexia, an eating disorder, may suffer bone loss resulting in fractured or crushed vertebrae.

Exercise is bad for your back pain. A big myth. Regular exercise prevents back pain. And for people suffering an acute injury resulting in lower back pain, doctors may recommend an exercise program that begins with gentle exercises and gradually increases in intensity. Once the acute pain subsides, an exercise regimen may help prevent future recurrence of back pain.

Chiropractic adjustments can help back pain. The American College of Physicians and American Pain Society guidelines for treatment of lower back pain recommend that patients and doctors consider spinal manipulation -- either by a chiropractor or a massage therapist -- for patients with back pain.

Acupuncture can help back pain. According to guidelines from the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society, patients and their doctors should consider acupuncture among treatments for back pain patients who do not get relief from standard self care. Yoga, progressive relaxation, and cognitive-behavioral therapy are also suggested for consideration.

A super-firm mattress is best for your back. A Spanish study of people with longstanding, non-specific back pain showed that those who slept on a medium-firm mattress -- rated 5.6 on a 10-point hard-to-soft scale -- had less back pain and disability than those who slept on a firm mattress (2.3 on the scale) mattress. However, depending on their sleep habits and the cause of their back pain, different people may need different mattresses.

Tips for Back Pain Relief

There are a number of back pain relief remedies that are for the most part under your control. And sometimes, it?s nice to know some options that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. These tips can help manage your pain. 

Ice

Even with all the high tech medical options available, a simple ice application can still be one of the more effective, proven methods to treat a sore back or neck. Ice is typically most effective if it is applied soon after an injury occurs, or after any activity that causes pain or stiffness. Ice can also be very helpful in alleviating postoperative pain and discomfort. While any form of applying cold to the injured area - such as a bag of ice wrapped in a towel or a commercial ice pack - should be helpful, combining massage therapy with ice application is a nice alternative for pain relief. 

Heat therapy

While the overall qualities of warmth and heat have long been associated with comfort and relaxation, heat therapy goes a step further and can provide both pain relief and healing benefits for many types of lower back pain. In addition, heat therapy - such as heating pads, heat wraps, hot baths, warm gel packs, etc. - is both inexpensive and easy to do. Some patients find more pain relief with heat (either moist heat or dry heat) and others with ice. The two therapies may also be alternated.

Hamstring stretching exercises

If you have tight hamstring muscles (the large muscles in the back of your thighs), the motion in your pelvis may be limited, which can increase stress across your lower back. To decrease this stress it is a good idea to incorporate hamstring stretching exercises into your daily routine. Hamstring stretching should typically include applying even pressure to lengthen the hamstring muscle for 30 to 45 seconds at a time, one to two times each day. There are a number of different ways to stretch your hamstrings, and if you have a back condition you may want to check with your doctor or physical therapist to discuss which position will work best for you. 

Some other therapies

While it sometimes may not seem like it, there are a number of soothing, rewarding therapies available to treat back pain. Here aare two options to consider: Massage therapy is a proven method for alleviating lower back pain, and can also improve sleep and lessen anxiety and depression (which sometimes accompany pain). Some insurance plans will cover massage therapy. Another treatment option is water therapy. In addition to the physical therapy benefits, water therapy has the added benefits of relaxation and sensory alterations due to water temperature and hydrostatic pressure. It also unweights the joints of the spine and allows for further range of motion. See also Massage therapy for back pain and Water therapy exercise program.

How to Wreck Your Back

For many people, back pain seems like an unavoidable discomfort. But you may have more control than you think.

You can wreck your back in any number of ways, but a few major offenders stand out: Not stretching, not paying attention to your movements, and years of wear and tear, says Nick Shamie, MD, associate professor of orthopedic neurosurgery at UCLA and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Here are five habits that put your spine at risk and simple strategies to stop them before the damage is done.

Back Wrecker #1: Weekend Warfare

"Most often, I see people who injured themselves during a weekend basketball game or a round of golf," Shamie says. "These people think they're athletes, but don't train like the pros, and as a result, their backs suffer."

Tackling those "Honey Do" lists at home can also set you up for injury, especially if you were idle for most of the week. Cleaning out the garage, bending over a workbench, or spending hours in the yard or garden can be just as hard on your back as anything you do on a playing field.

"Like any other part of the body, the back is likely to be injured if you haven't warmed up or stretched," Shamie says.

Prevent it: "The only preventive solution I've found for back pain is exercise," says Michael Hisey, MD, orthopedic surgeon and president of the Texas Back Institute in Denton, Texas. "The fix is to stretch and strengthen your core muscles."

The obliques -- the abdominal muscles on your sides -- are especially important for back stability, Hisey tells WebMD.

Hisey's tip: Get an inflatable exercise ball. Use it in your workouts and sit on it, instead of a chair, to engage your abs.

Back Wrecker #2: Poor Lifting Technique

"Improper bending and lifting causes back injury; that's all there is to it," says Dan McMackin, a spokesman for UPS.

Prevent it: Engage your abs to help support your back. Here are the basic principles that UPS uses for safe lifting, according to McMackin:

Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Don't bend at your waist. 

Keep the object close to you. The farther away you hold it from your body, the more it stresses your back. 

Never hold an item higher than your armpit or lower than your knees. 

Don't move something that weighs more than 20% of your body weight. 

Don't pivot, twist, or turn while lifting. Point your feet at the item you're lifting and face it as you pick it up. Change direction with your feet, not your waist. 

Back Wrecker #3: Absentmindedness During Daily Activity

Simple tasks like taking out the trash or washing the dishes can get your spine bent out of shape if your body isn't ready.

And if your mind is running on auto-pilot instead of focusing on what you're doing, you could be in trouble.

Prevent it: Train yourself to keep your core muscles engaged.

A simple way to do that is to pull your navel toward your spine and imagine you're wearing a corset that pulls the sides of your abs inward. Doing that throughout the day -- and especially when lifting or bending -- strengthens and supports your back, says Esther Gokhale, author of 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back and owner of Ester Gokhale Wellness Center in Palo Alto, Calif.

Back Wreckers #4 and #5: Commuting and Computing

You sit, and you sit, and you sit some more -- at work, while driving, and in front of the TV. And your back doesn't like it. Here's why.

Your discs are spongy and cushion the vertebrae in your spine, but discs have poor blood supply, Hisey says. When you move, fluid circulates through the discs. When you sit still, the fluid is wrung out, so you're depriving discs of nutrition, he says. Spending so much time behind the wheel of a car or sitting in front of a computer adds mileage to our discs, which leads to stress in your back. Studies have also shown that sitting puts more pressure on your spine than lying down or standing up.

"The worst posture is sitting and leaning forward," Shamie says. This makes you lock your pelvis and flex your spine, putting pressure on the front of the vertebrae, where your discs are. The more you arch forward and exaggerate the curve of the spine, the more pressure you're putting on your discs. "This uneven pressure on a disc puts it at high risk of rupture," Shamie explains.

Prevent it: You're going to sit. So try these tactics to lessen its impact on your back:

Get up and move at least once every 20 minutes, unless you're driving. Set your screen saver to remind you; make a habit of going for a drink of water; when you answer the phone, stand up to stretch and change positions. 

Keep your spine properly aligned by holding reading material at eye level (when sitting or standing) rather than bending over. Don't lean over a desk or table to work. Whenever possible, your spine should be straight. 

Choose a chair that supports your back. Adjust the chair so that your feet stay flat on the floor. If the chair doesn't support your lower back's curve, place a rolled towel or small pillow behind your lower back. Remove anything from your back pockets, especially a wallet, if you'll be seated for long periods of time because this puts your spine out of alignment. 

Gokhale suggests doing the following exercises to help lengthen your spine:

Get on your hands and knees. Reach your left arm straight ahead and straighten your right leg behind you. Use your stomach muscles to stabilize. Hold for 5-10 seconds and slowly return to starting position. Switch arm and leg. Repeat 3-5 times on each side. 

Sit tall, lengthen your spine, and let your shoulders relax. Concentrate on squeezing your shoulder blades together, keeping your arms hanging at your sides. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then release. Repeat 10-20 times. 

If All Else Fails

The experts interviewed for this story all told WebMD that most back pain should abate with in 48 hours with a nonprescription pain reliever. But in some cases, your pain could require urgent care.

You need immediate attention if you suffer any loss of bladder or bowel control with your back pain, Hisey says. This is associated with a disc that's pressing on nerves and the faster you relieve the pressure, the faster the function returns.

"Most back pain won't radiate below the waist," Shamie says. "If you feel pain in the thighs or knees, you likely have a disc herniation causing nerve compression." Seek medical attention to ensure there isn't more serious damage.

If your back pain keeps coming back, see a medical professional. You may have begun to rupture a disc or have another injury that could require treatment. "The older you are, the quicker you should get to a specialist," Shamie says.