Reason for back pain?

[tennisenthusiast]

Why do we have back pain when we sit on the floor for prolonged period and stand up afterwards?

Can someone tell me what is going on behind the scenes? Why are we stiff afterwards for sometime? Do our muscles become stiff when we sit? How about pain and not just stiffness. Why do we have pain when we sit and stand up after sometime?

[r2473]

Back pain is all in your head.

........no, wait, that's head pain. Back pain is all in your back.

I hope I was able to help.

[charliefedererer]

Isn't it great that to get rid of stiffness (usually), all we have to do is get our muscles warmed up by exercising?

Real pain on the other hand is worrisome that something else is going on. Real pain probably means we should get checked out medically to find out what is wrong.

[TheCheese]

Usually lower back pain is caused by muscle imbalances that are a result of a weak core.

[bhupaes]

Not 100% sure, but I think poor posture causes some muscles to become tense (contract). It takes a while later for the muscles to relax. Younger muscles probably bounce back immediately, and older muscles take a while... in my experience, anyway.

[LeeD]

Even cats need to take a big arching stretch after laying down for a while.

[vin]

The low back is more suited for stability than mobility. When someone has tight hips or a tight thoracic spine, range of motion at the lumbar spine tends to increase as a compensation. Over time, this makes the lumbar spine more susceptible to injury, and whether it's picking something up, or simply getting up after sitting on the floor as tennisenthusiast mentioned, it is often an otherwise harmless movement that is the last straw and causes pain or injury.

TheCheese is right in that you need trunk stability to stabilize the lumbar spine during movement, but you also need good hip and thoracic spine mobility to avoid compensation at the lumber spine. Without hip and t-spine mobility, the strongest core in the world won't make that much difference. The forces generated by sports and daily activity will win.

[tennisenthusiast]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Even cats need to take a big arching stretch after laying down for a while.

Great analogy!!

[tennisenthusiast]

Originally Posted by vin

The low back is more suited for stability than mobility. When someone has tight hips or a tight thoracic spine, range of motion at the lumbar spine tends to increase as a compensation. Over time, this makes the lumbar spine more susceptible to injury, and whether it's picking something up, or simply getting up after sitting on the floor as tennisenthusiast mentioned, it is often an otherwise harmless movement that is the last straw and causes pain or injury.

TheCheese is right in that you need trunk stability to stabilize the lumbar spine during movement, but you also need good hip and thoracic spine mobility to avoid compensation at the lumber spine. Without hip and t-spine mobility, the strongest core in the world won't make that much difference. The forces generated by sports and daily activity will win.

Thank you, Vin. That was very helpful. I need to focus more on hip and t-spine stretches.

[3fees]

Back pain- sleeping wrong.

[OHBH]

Sitting tends to put more pressure on the spine than standing, especially if you are sitting on the ground without anything behind your back to support it. People tend to get lazy and lose their posture when sitting, typically by slumping forward. Slumping forward causes the lower back muscles to work harder to keep the body upright, eventually becoming overworked and causing pain as we age.

[10s talk]

Originally Posted by TheCheese

Usually lower back pain is caused by muscle imbalances that are a result of a weak core.

true,

do 1 minute of leg lifts a day.... lay on your back, with your legs together, and lift your legs 6 inches off the ground, and hold them in the air for 30-60 seconds

[tennisenthusiast]

Originally Posted by 10s talk

true,

do 1 minute of leg lifts a day.... lay on your back, with your legs together, and lift your legs 6 inches off the ground, and hold them in the air for 30-60 seconds

Thanks 10s talk. That is helpful.

[Povl Carstensen]

Also, tilt the seat on your office chair forewards. Or/and use one of those wedgeshaped pillows that are lower at the front to sit on. It forces the spine into the correct S-shape.

[tennisenthusiast]

Originally Posted by Povl Carstensen

Also, tilt the seat on your office chair forewards. Or/and use one of those wedgeshaped pillows that are lower at the front to sit on. It forces the spine into the correct S-shape.

I have done it few minutes ago! Thanks for your valuable suggestion!

[Povl Carstensen]

Hope it helps. I you tilt the seat forewards, you might want to raise it a bit too. The thighs will be pointing more downwards, so you might need a little extra hight to get the benefit of the new sitting position. And remember to have the screen at eye height, or only just below if possible. So many details in this, he...

[charliefedererer]

If the above suggestions are helping, you may benefit from getting Pete Egoscue's Book Pain Free, and doing his "E-exercises" .

"The key is a series of gentle exercises and carefully constructed stretches called E-cises. Inside you'll find detailed photographs and step-by-step instructions for dozens of e-cizes specifically designed to provide quick and lasting relief of:
Lower back pain, hip problems, sciatica, and bad knees."
- http://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Revo...ords=pain+free

Hopefully Posture Guy, who posts here and is an Egoscue therapist will weigh in.



One of the exercises in the above book are "cats and dogs".

Suzanna McGee, who posts here as sxftlion, has a good description of the exercise and why it helps:
Cats & Dogs Exercise Helps Painful Shoulders, Elbows, Wrists, Lower Back and Knees http://www.tennisfitnesslove.com/201...ack-and-knees/

[heycal]

Originally Posted by Povl Carstensen

Hope it helps. I you tilt the seat forewards, you might want to raise it a bit too. The thighs will be pointing more downwards, so you might need a little extra hight to get the benefit of the new sitting position. And remember to have the screen at eye height, or only just below if possible. So many details in this, he...

So knees below the hips?

It seems in many recliner type chairs, like mine, the knees are above the hips in the basic seated position, to say nothing of when it's reclined. Is this no good for the lower back?

[Povl Carstensen]

Knees not above hips at least I would say. Lower back problems often seem to come from bad posture, bending foreward too much, and loosing the s-shape of the spine. Having the seat tilted foreward, and the knees somewhat lower than the hips, makes the lower back tilt foreward, and encourages the s-shape. Whith the seat tilted backwards, its the other way around.
Edit: Recliner chairs is a bit different, because the whole back is supported. But I believe a good reclining chair (and Cinema and car seats and so on), has a support in the lower back that encourages the s-shape, instead of just being scoop-shaped. Otherwise it is possible to use a small pillow, or you can look up the "McKenzie Lumbar Roll" for instance.

[heycal]

Originally Posted by Povl Carstensen

Edit: Recliner chairs is a bit different, because the whole back is supported. But I believe a good reclining chair (and Cinema and car seats and so on), has a support in the lower back that encourages the s-shape, instead of just being scoop-shaped. Otherwise it is possible to use a small pillow, or you can look up the "McKenzie Lumbar Roll" for instance.

So you would say that if recliner provides lumbar support, or if you provide it with a lumbar roll, one needn't worry about the knees being above the hips in a recliner?