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How to Fight the Back Pain After 50

Back-related problems are one of the most common conditions that many people experience today. Whether young or old, suffering f...




Back-related problems are one of the most common conditions that many people experience today. Whether young or old, suffering from back pains has become very apparent.

While the number of young adults who have been suffering from the said condition is quite increasing these days, this case is much more evident to people who are above 50 years old. The reason being is that, as people age, the spinal condition deteriorates. So, while the condition itself is not normal to have for aging individuals, it is quite inevitable for some.

Causes of Back Pain

There are several causes why people, especially seniors, are experiencing back pain. While this has largely something to do with lifestyle and diet, there are other related factors as well.
Some of these include:

·         Skeletal Irregularities

Irregularities, like scoliosis, are very common for middle-aged individuals. While some young adults already experience having skeletal irregularities, such conditions are often seen in people with ages over 50.
The irregularities in the skeletal system disrupt the main functions of the system. This leads to the pains and aches that one experiences on the back.

·         Muscle Strain

Muscle strain is the most common cause of back pains. When you abuse your body in doing tasks that are not great for your back, the repeated strain on the back results in painful muscle spasms.

·         Ruptured Disks

The disks in your spine act as the "pillows" or cushions between the bones. This mainly acts as the shock-absorber. But, since disks are very soft because of its interior, it can bulge or rupture in the long run.
Keep in mind, though, that some people who have ruptured disks may not experience backaches or pains.

·         Arthritis

Arthritis is also another common cause of back pains. Typically, this affects mainly the lower back. Even so, some people who have arthritis do experience pain but, not on their backs. Instead, they would feel the aching on their joints and other parts of the skeletal system.

·         Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of back-related conditions. This condition normally occurs when the bones become brittle and porous. As a result, the vertebrae develop compression fractures, which cause the pain to become very apparent.


Symptoms and Signs of Back Pain

In general, backaches are the main symptom of experiencing the condition, hence, the name. But, in a more specific note, here are the symptoms and signs that you are already suffering from a much more serious pain on your back:
·         Constant aching that already impacts the day-to-day activities
·         Sleep and rest disruption
·         Muscle aches
·         Intense and stabbing pain, upper and lower
·         Increasing pain as you bend, lift, stand, sit, and walk
·         Pain that flows down to the legs

Tips On How To Fight Back Pain

Despite the challenges of suffering from backaches and pains, there are actually great and effective ways to fight the condition. In some cases, these have helped to heal the condition. But, most of the time, these practices just alleviate the situation.
Whatever the case, though, it improves the overall quality of life of the patient, especially seniors and adults above 50.

·         Exercise

Backaches and pains can actually be alleviated by exercising. Your blood circulation will improve. Also, it will benefit your bone structure, especially your posture.
In addition to this, exercising also promotes healthy living. Aside from keeping yourself healthy, this can also resolve various kinds of conditions.
The benefits of exercising regularly are already proven and tested. This is why it is very recommended for everyone to get active and exercise on a daily basis.
But, when focusing on backaches or any back-related condition, one of the best exercises that you can do is yoga. As it happens, it can be very helpful in increasing your flexibility. Thus, it omits the risks of having accidents, such as fractures.

·         Strengthen Your Core Muscles

Having a strong core is very beneficial to your back. This is because your core and your back always support each other. Keep in mind that doing core exercises and routines always require you the proper alignment of the spine. And in doing so, you always get to strengthen not only your core, but your back as well.
Some of the exercise routines that can strengthen your core include plank and its variations, crunches, bicycle crunch, leg sit-ups, and ab-rocker.

·         Avoid Lifting Objects That Are Heavier Than 25%

Lifting heavy objects is one of the common activities that may degrade the condition of your spine and back. Not to mention, lifting objects improperly may even damage your posture and your spine. In fact, this is one of the basic causes of back pain. So, as much as possible, avoid lifting heavy objects.
But, if in the case that you cannot avoid it, experts recommend people, especially individuals who are 50 years old and above to lift only the objects that are less than 25 percent of your total weight.

·         Let Your Spine Really Rest While Sleeping

There are so many positions that you can do while you are sleeping. The truth is - this will depend on your own comfortability. Unfortunately, though, some of these sleeping positions are not good for your back and spine. As a result, these positions would only deteriorate your backaches and back conditions.
As per experts in the field, some of the best sleeping positions that you may want to follow include sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knee and sleeping on your side with a pillow in between your slightly bent legs. Through these positions, you are allowing your spine to rest properly.

·         Get Enough Calcium

Calcium is a very essential element that your body needs on a daily basis. The reason being is that this mineral plays an important role in different functions of your body. These include nerve functions, the release of hormones, and muscle contraction.
It is important for you to note that the human body does not produce calcium. Nevertheless, the bones actually serve as storage for this mineral that you get from the foods that you eat.
So, when you do not have enough of this mineral anymore, your system will take calcium from the bones to ensure the continuous function. However, this means that it may lead to weakened bones, especially when you do not take enough calcium.

·         Quit Smoking

Smoking is a very evil habit. In terms of backaches and pains, the nicotine that you take from cigarette smoking hinders the flow of blood to various parts of your body, including the disks. When this happens, degeneration of the disks will be very apparent, which then will result in back-related problems, like aching.
Also, coughing due to smoking is one of the top reasons why people, especially those who are above 50, are experiencing backaches. Accordingly, this habit must be stopped as soon as possible.


Final Thoughts

Fighting back pains and alleviating the symptoms of this condition can be quite challenging for many of us, especially the middle-age group. But, fortunately, there are easy ways now that one can do to fight backaches and pains. And the given tips above are only some of them.
So, try to do and include them on your routine list today!