Following a day of helping your friend move to a second-floor apartment or going for a 3-mile hike, it’s completely normal to wake up with an ache in your back. That said, if you notice you’re experiencing back pain on a regular basis, there could be something more serious going on.
“Depending on what is injured, you can have muscle pain, bone pain and/or nerve pain,” said Dr. Santhosh A. Thomas, staff physician at Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Spine Health at the Richard E. Jacobs Health Center. He added that back pain can extend to the legs or butt, intensify with pressure, and even feel worse when you cough or sneeze.
About 65 million people in the United States report experiencing a recent episode of lower back pain, while 16 million people said they have chronic back pain. While herniated disks, spinal trauma, and pulled muscles are well-known causes of back injuries, there may not always be an obvious trigger for ongoing discomfort.
These are sneaky causes of back pain that experts say can fly under the radar:
Simple, Repetitive Daily Habits Done With Poor Posture
Simply put, body mechanics describe how you twist, turn, lift, maintain posture, and move during daily life. “Things we have done a thousand times can all of a sudden become painful or can start the process. Even simple things like bending to tie your shoes or picking up something small from the ground,” Thomas said.
Adam Goode, professor in the department of orthopaedic surgery at the Duke University School of Medicine, further explained that he tends “to see more individuals having the abrupt onset of lower back pain early in the spring when the weather is nicer, and activities such as yard work, spring cleaning, or sports are beginning back up.”
Fortunately, experts agree that pain from activities such as these tend to quickly pass and become less of a trigger with improvement of poor posture and better lifting habits.
Underlying Physical Health Conditions
An underlying health disorder may present with back pain as a symptom. “Many of our internal organs have shared nerve pathways that also supply the skin, soft tissue, and muscles of the back. Therefore, conditions affecting these internal organs can cause ’referred back pain,’” explained Dr. Jay Karri, a physiatrist and interventional pain specialist at the University of Maryland Medical System and assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
According to Thomas, gastrointestinal…
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