5 Surprising back pain causes (and remedies)

Nearly nine out of 10 of us will suffer chronic back pain at least once in our lives, so the odds are pretty good that your number will come up at some point.

Chronic back pain is one of the most common types of pain and one of the top 10 reasons people consult a doctor.

And it accounts for as many as one out of four Workers' compensation claims!

If you suffer from back pain, you can feel a whole lot better by taking a look at what may be causing or worsening your pain…then doing something about it!

Here are five surprising causes of chronic back pain that you might not be aware of, as well as how you help turn each of them around FAST:

1-Poor posture

Incorrect posture is a VERY common cause of back pain, especially in people whose jobs involve lots of sitting (like truck drivers and desk workers). 

Good posture is when your shoulders are back, your head is up straight and the lower part of your spine curves out ever so slightly to form a J-shape.

It’s not hard to improve your posture—you just need to be aware of it and correct yourself when you feel your shoulders rolling in or bending forward at your mid back. 

If your job requires you to sit for long periods of time, it’s also helpful to get up and move around as much as you can (once an hour is ideal) or at least take a quick stretch break by sitting up straight and reaching your hands up toward the sky.

2-Dehydration

Dehydration doesn’t just manifest itself as thirst, dark urine or fatigue during workouts.

Dehydration can also eventually cause muscle weakness, and when the muscles surrounding your back are involved, you can get back pain.

Take an honest look at your beverage habits.  If you can’t remember the last time you drank anything but coffee, soda or alcohol, or your urine is dark yellow all day long (and not just first thing in the morning), chances are excellent you may be dehydrated.

Try to drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water (not juice, sports drinks or other beverages—just plain WATER) a day and see what a difference it can make in your level of back pain.

3-Chronic inflammation

This is far and away the most common culprit behind pain of ALL kinds, and that includes back pain. 

Ours is a society that is rampant with chronic inflammation, which is mainly the result of our diets—specifically eating inflammation-causing processed foods and getting too few of the Omega-3 essential fatty acids that our bodies need to control inflammation.

So to end chronic inflammation at its very root causes (as well as ease the resulting aches and pains!), it’s essential to have an anti-inflammatory diet and get the Omega-3 fatty acids your body needs!

1.   Eat real (not processed) foods

Concentrate on real foods like vegetables, fruits, meats, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs and healthy fats.

Incorporate anti-inflammatory herbs and spices into your meals like garlic, ginger, cinnamon and turmeric.

Do most of your grocery shopping in the outer perimeter of the store where the real foods are located and skip the processed, packaged convenience items beckoning from the center aisles.

And drive by the drive-thru too.  Fast food is just as bad as processed, packaged food.

2. Get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Processed foods and our current farming practices have created wide-ranging deficiencies of Omega-3 essential fatty acids…and we’re paying the price with our health. 

Much of the oil used in the manufacturing of processed foods and in our cooking oils are inflammation-stirring Omega-6 fatty acids.  Plus the animals raised for our meat and milk consumption are not allowed to graze in Omega-3 rich pastures anymore—instead they’re fed a grain-based diet, which is also rich in Omega-6 EFAs.

Although your body does need some Omega-6 EFAs, the problem is we’re getting way too many, along with too few anti-inflammatory Omega-3s.  And this imbalance is a primary source of our chronic inflammation.

In addition to eating natural sources of Omega-3s like fatty fish, a top-quality fish oil supplement like VitalMega-3 can be a big help.

VitalMega-3 provides 1,200 mg of Omega-3 EFAs in every daily two-capsule serving. This includes 600 mg of EPA and 400 mg of DHA—the crucial Omega-3 EFAs that are recommended by many health experts.

4-Vitamin B12 deficiency

Vitamin B12 is crucial in supporting your nervous system, and it helps to maintain the myelin sheath which surrounds and protects your nerve cells.

Since back pain is commonly the result of spinal nerve inflammation, B12 with its "nerve-soothing" properties can actually help reduce pain.  

In addition, research studies have shown that vitamin B12 has anti-inflammatory properties that help in correcting degenerative disorders of the lumbar spine (which become more common as we age).

If you've got chronic back pain it may behoove you to see if vitamin B12 deficiency may be a factor!

And if you’re looking for supplementation with a quality product, Hydroxaden 2.5 is your ticket.

Hydroxaden 2.5 is a B12 spray that you spritz right under your tongue each day.  The B12 can be quickly absorbed into your bloodstream through the mucus membranes in your mouth.

A B12 spray like Hydroxaden 2.5 can be more efficient than oral supplements (which can have varying absorbency rates depending on your level of stomach acid), and is a lot less costly and more convenient than B12 shots.

5-Lacking sleep

According to recent research from Great Britain, poor or insufficient sleep was a very strong predictor for pain in adults over 50.

It’s easy to see why.  Your circadian rhythm (your sleep-wake cycle) actually influences the rhythms of the biological activity of your cells…so if your sleep habits are not-so-good, restless or otherwise interrupted, that can affect the health of all of your cells.

And lead to chronic back pain over time.

Most people need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.  So if you’re getting fewer than that, it’s time to start hitting the hay earlier. 

When you look at all the possible factors that may be behind your back pain, and take natural measures to counteract them, a whole new life free of back pain can become your reality!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia