Backache: A Common Problem

Backache is largely caused by sitting, standing or stooping for a long time and is prevalent amongst all age groups. Human physiology has undergone a sea change in the recent years with a large proportion of people spending a majority of their work time sitting in front of computers or desks or cars and other vehicles. The sitting posture puts pressure on our back and the constituent muscles thus resulting in backache.

Our spinal column is constituted in such a way that it provides the necessary stability to stand straight and the flexibility to move around. The spine includes a number of muscles that may get pressurized due to bad postures. Everyone of us is bound to face backache at one or the other point in our lifetime, but women in general are more prone to this problem.

A Woman’s body undergoes a lot of changes during pregnancy. During the last two trimesters of pregnancy, the center of gravity of her back changes due to the position of the fetus thus altering the curve of her spine. Bending and lifting are also a regular part of a woman’s daily routine and are the most common reasons of back pain. Menstrual pain can often result in backache amongst women.

Sudden jerks or movements can also result in back pain. Several conditions such as Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, Viral infection, Bladder or kidney infection, Gynecological problems in women, tumors and trauma can also cause backache.

Excess weight or the wearing of the wrong type of shoes can also result in back pain. Regular exercises that strengthen our abdominal muscles are the best solution to treat backache. Maintaining the right posture and keeping our body weight in check can go a long way in the prevention and cure of backache.

Back Support Pillows

Back support pillows can be quite helpful in reducing back pain. Sitting for long periods and that too without any support can create muscle tension and result in pain in the lower portion of our back. The use of a right kind of a pillow, plays an important role in reducing or alleviating back pain or neck pain.

These pillows fill the natural gap between the lower spine and the chair on which one is sitting. Such pillows provide the requisite support to our head, neck and shoulders, besides keeping them in alignment, thus relieving pressure and tension from our body. The back support pillows also provide a comfort feeling and enable one to relax, enabling the person to have a sound sleep.

People with spinal disorders can benefit a lot by using support pillows. Pillows filled with firm material are more effective in providing support than feather pillows. People suffering from spinal disorders are likely to benefit more from pillow filled with firm material, such as grain or buckwheat hulls.

These pillows not only provide comfort, but also provide adequate support to a person’s neck and back. However, it is very essential that the pillow be placed at the right height. If you place a pillow at a high height, it can result in muscle strain in the back or the neck. Similarly, if the height of the pillow is too low, the neck tends to get strained. Therefore you must be careful in using back support pillows for back pain relief