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The Chronic Back Pain Series

© Artsy_Grampa

Back injuries are among the most common injuries that cause chronic, lasting pain. Whether you are male or female, between 70 and 90% of all United States citizens are estimated to experience at least one back injury in their lives. Of those percentages, approximately 50% will experience recurrent episodes of back pain. Up to 25% will experience chronic back pain. However, back pain is both avoidable and manageable which is why it is striking that the incidence of back injuries is so high in American populations.

This introductory article is the first in a series that will take you on a journey of understanding the back, and how it can cause such pain for the human body. People take their backs for granted and as such, they place themselves in danger of injury almost every day. Back injuries occur from picking up groceries, playing with your children, turning wrong in your chair at work, slips, falls and simple bending and lifting of almost anything. What is significant is that typically back most injuries are thought to be the result of multiple occasions of strain, rather than just one incidence of injury. Some injuries are thought to take decades, months or in rare cases weeks to occur. Some researchers have emphasized positions in which you sit or sleep, ways in which you bend, and emotional stressors in family and work situations as catalysts for back injuries.

However, by learning about the structure of the back and understanding what function the muscles, ligaments, joints and intervertebral disks have in the human body you can avoid back injury and even learn ways to cope with pain from chronic back strain or injury. This series will cover anatomy of the spine and back, suggestions on immediate pain relief as well as long term methods which can be employed to assist back pain sufferers with activities of daily living and prevent further injury. Body mechanics and lifestyle both play a part in back pain and measures can be taken to be sure one small incident of strain does not become a chronic factor of daily living.

Let's look once again at the major factors of what I have said above:

• Back pain is avoidable.
• Back pain is manageable.
• Back injuries are among the most common injuries that cause chronic pain.
• Lifestyle choice plays a large role in the factors of back pain in the activities of daily living.
• Of those individuals who experience one episode of back pain, up to 25% will have chronic pain.

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