What is Backache?
Backache is one of the most common problems faced by patients. Lumbago is a general term for mild to severe lower back pain or discomfort usually arising from muscles and ligaments. The symptoms are not always discrete. Generally speaking, a pain sensation across lower part of back that sometimes radiates into thighs, buttocks or other lower regions. It worsens on movement. It is usually said that we are as young as our spine, so if our spine is flexible and supple, we will remain young even at eighty. Bending exercise are beneficial for a healthy spine but these should be practiced preferably under supervision of a good yoga teacher (or we must perform normal household activities like sweeping, swabbing, dusting and washing clothes). In spite of every case most people experience backache sometime or the other. Any severe problem of the spine can only be corrected by exercise. Contrary to the earlier belief when stress was laid on rest and immobilization nowadays it is believed tht ‘Rest is rust’ as prolonged rest will lead to thinning of bones and weakness of the supporting structures.
Rest is recommended only in the acute stage, when pain is severe, so we must start moving as soon as possible and enter a good exercise programme, or the axiom will hold true that ‘once a backache, always ba backache.’
Why does Backache Develop?
In the majority of cases, it is impossible to identify the exact cause of backache. Most of us are not accustomed tolifting weights or doing heavy physical work on a regular basis. If we do so suddenly, we can adamage our back. Man of us are also subjected tocontinuous jerks by riding on two-wheelers especially on potholed roads. We also tend to sit and work for long, hours in wrong postures. All this puts a strain on the back that makes it injury – prone. When movement of the back is slow and for a short while, muscles have ample time to contract and relax according to the type of movement and there is no damage. But if movements are prolonged, there is muscle fatigue and they protest by going into a ‘spasm’ (tightening up) so that further movement and also further damage is avoided. Sudden movement is equally bad since there is no time for the muscles to adjust and they may get damaged. Later in this chapter correct working methods have been explained. Falls and injuries are also common causes of backache. These can be avoided toa large extent in most cases by employing, safety measures, which have been discussed later in this chapter.
All back pains do not necessarily originate from the spine. There are many other dcauses and mechanisms of backcahe. The common causes are discussed here.
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