Sitting All Day, Back Pain at Night: 5 Everyday Habits That Could Be Affecting Your Spine Health
Seems like no harm sitting at the desk for a long time, scrolling on a smartphone, and resting on the couch, but such daily activities can affect your spine health. The pain in the back that gets aggravated towards the evening is usually caused by long hours of sitting, poor posture and lack of activity. Though some temporary discomfort may get relieved by rest and changing your activity, if the pain continues, it shouldn’t be neglected. In the framework of World Spine Day celebrated on October 16, it’s necessary to know about the effects of daily habits on the condition of your spine.
1. Sitting Too Long Without Activity Breaks
Being seated during a couple of hours increases stiffness and discomfort in your back muscles especially if you are not moving enough. Long hours of sitting may cause additional stress for your spine. Short breaks of movement activity every 30-60 minutes, standing up and walking a bit can decrease stiffness.
2. Slouching while using the Computer or Mobile Device
Sitting hunched over a computer or mobile device may cause stress on the neck and upper back regions. Long-term effects of this kind of stress may include stiffness and muscle fatigue. It is advisable to ensure that the screens remain at eye level, relax the shoulders, and sit upright to avoid causing extra stress.
3. Using an Unfavorable Working Environment
The lack of proper arrangement of the workplace is capable of making one assume bad postures. The use of an unsupportive chair, having the screen very low, and having dangling legs when seated are examples of how the workstation can cause stress. Ideally, it should have a properly supported back, flat feet on the ground, and the screen at an appropriate level.
4. Avoidance of Exercise and Motion
Lack of exercise is another factor that may cause muscle weakness and poor endurance. The muscles of the abdominal area, the back, and the hip regions play a supporting role for the spine. A poorly conditioned muscle group can make simple tasks quite uncomfortable for an individual. Walking and proper training can be good for spinal performance.
5. Ignoring Sleep Patterns and Pain
An uncomfortable position during sleeping or mattress which does not provide necessary support can cause additional strain in the back area for some patients. However, a patient should take care of the comfort of his sleep and select a mattress accordingly. Nevertheless, the problem of back pain should not be immediately attributed to the wrong posture or the mattress.
In case when back pain occurs regularly and disrupts sleep, or gets worse and prevents daily activities, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Back pain with weakness and numbness in the legs, loss of control of urination, and stool requires immediate medical treatment.
Little Things Can Make an Impact
Caring for the spinal system doesn’t always mean making drastic changes in your way of living. Regular physical activity, maintaining a comfortable working environment, being physically active, and reacting quickly when experiencing pain regularly can reduce avoidable stress on your spine. World Spine Day is a call to mind the role of the spine in movement and how to care for it daily.
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