Understanding Different Types of Back Pain
Back pain is super common, affecting nearly 80% of all adults at some point in their lifetime. Not all back pain is the same, however. It’s important to understand the different types of back pain you may experience as well as common causes of back pain you may be overlooking in order to effectively treat it.
Today we’re taking a look at understanding different types of back pain and how they may affect your body. We’ll be examining a few common causes of back pain and also ways to help treat symptoms.
Different Types of Back Pain
Officially, there are three different types of back pain: acute, chronic, and neuropathic. The most common two are acute back pain and chronic back pain, as neuropathic is sometimes included when discussing the latter.
Acute back pain lasts a shorter time and may not persist beyond 3 to 6 months. This type of back pain may go away on its own, but will often heal faster with simple lifestyle adjustments or treatments. While acute back pain may be a temporary hindrance, it’s important to ensure it heals properly otherwise it may turn into a chronic back pain problem.
Chronic back pain, on the other hand, is persistent and may last for prolonged periods of time. While often able to be treated at home without surgery, left untreated chronic back pain may cause long term damage to your body. Learning treatment methods for chronic back pain relief is essential for improving everyday living.
Common Causes of Different Types of Back Pain
While there are different types of back pain, there are still a few common causes for both acute and chronic pain alike.
Acute back pain is often the result of a recent injury from some sort of action. This may be from repeatedly lifting heavy objects improperly, having bad sitting habits with poor posture, or even an athlete experiencing muscle stiffness from not having a post workout recovery routine. Some common causes of acute back pain include spinal compression, muscle tension, sport-related injuries, and muscle strains (also called pulled muscles).
Left untreated, acute back pain can develop into chronic back pain problems. Other common causes of chronic back pain may include sciatica symptoms, being overweight, and age related diseases like arthritis.
How Back Pain Affects People Differently
Just like there are different types of back pain, they affect people differently, as well. Identifying the cause of back pain in your body is critical to helping treat it.
The most obvious symptoms of back pain is the physical impact itself! That’s enough reason to treat your back pain symptoms to begin with, of course. Discovering what causes back pain for you can help treat it and possibly prevent it from happening again.
Others may also experience an emotional side of back pain symptoms. It’s been shown that the psychological impact of different types of back pain may include sadness, frustration, or anxiety. Chronic back pain may elevate these psychological symptoms of back pain in everyday life.
Ways to Treat Different Types of Back Pain Naturally
As mentioned, understanding the different types of back pain and their causes is key to learning how to treat it. Some common ways to treat back pain include:
- Simple rest and relaxation
- Heat and cold therapy
- Simple exercise to stretch the muscles
- Mindfulness and meditation exercises
- Adopting a healthier diet
Learning how to treat different types of back pain at home means finding ways to take care of both your body and mind. Using zero gravity chairs for back pain is an effective method to handle all this at once!
First, in zero gravity position, the legs are elevated above the heart level which reduces pressure on the spine and evenly distributes weight along the body. This is a key design change in the debate between zero gravity chairs vs traditional recliners. In traditional recliners, pressure is actually focused at the pelvic region, potentially adding to your back pain symptoms. The zero gravity position is why zero gravity chairs are good for your back!
Another result of the zero gravity position is that it improves blood circulation, which allows oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to flow through the body more efficiently. This blood flow helps rehydrate spinal discs more efficiently, letting the tissue heal more quickly than it would on its own. In this way, you can effectively use a zero gravity chair to help heal a herniated disc naturally.
Other bonus features of zero gravity chairs like massage and heat therapy make them ideal for treating different types of back pain. After applying a cold compress, zero gravity chair heat therapy helps loosen the muscles and open up the blood vessels in your body. This helps alleviate back pain and heal your body much more efficiently than any traditional recliner. Zero gravity chair massage features can also keep your muscles loose while helping treat muscle strain and spasms, contributing to better blood flow, and increasing mobility and flexibility.
Understanding different types of back pain will help you treat it most effectively. The good news is most different types of back pain can be treated with simple lifestyle changes. Choosing a zero gravity chair provides multiple sources of back pain treatment in one, making it the ultimate home solution. Using a zero gravity chair for even 20 minutes each day can yield that same back healing experienced in 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Try one out and experience the difference for yourself!
Taking care of your spine is absolutely vital. Learn about the importance of spinal care for your overall health and check out our guide to 5 chiropractic benefits of zero gravity chairs!
