Why does my back hurt?

Are you full of it? Blame it on your bad habits! Julien Montagnon, Technical Consultant in Orthopedics at Velpeau, orthopedic surgeon, explains to us what mistakes should be avoided to limit pain.

Who is bothered by back pain?

“First of all, when we talk about back pain, we group all areas of the spine at the level of the cervical, dorsal or lumbar region.“,” the orthopedist clarifies. “Contrary to what one might think, it’s not just people who carry heavy loads or older people who may have muscle weakness who are concerned.” In fact, back pain affects absolutely everyone.

Uncomfortable sitting at a desk for a long time: the cause of back pain

Your posture in the office is probably inappropriate and therefore painful. First of all, because, generally speaking, prolonged sitting is already a source of back pain. The ideal would be to walk for at least three minutes every hour to move your body, activate your muscles and reduce stress on your vertebrae. You can also advise alternating a classic chair and a large chair during the day. gymnastic ball on which we sit and work in the office, the purpose of which is to further engage the back and abdominal muscles to stand upright and balanced!

• Neck position in the office

Then scan your posture while you are at your post. Is your neck tilted? Red card! The neck and head should be straight, the gaze slightly downward. To do this, be sure to adjust the chair and screen orientation correctly. If it’s a laptop, you can lower the seat and raise the work tool, for example using a thick book or a suitable support.

• Back position in the office

Is your back open? Disaster: he must be against the file! Rest your lower back against a chair (why not use a pillow), bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor.

Looking at the phone with your neck down: a source of back pain

When we look at the phone, the head is pointed down, the neck is lowered, the back is rounded. And the head weighs a certain amount: from 5 to 6 kilograms for an adult. So, when we bend over, we put more stress on our vertebrae, muscles and nerves, which can cause pain in the long run. The more the neck is tilted, the more pressure it puts on our muscles, according to a study conducted by the University of Texas Southwestern. Over time, this can lead to muscle stiffness, arthritis, or in the worst case scenario, a herniated disc. For safe scrolling, it would be ideal to hold your phone at eye level.

Lying without moving causes back pain

When we experience pain, our first instinct may be to remain still and lie down to avoid the pain returning. However, this is counterproductive! A static posture, whether standing, sitting or lying down, does not bring any relief.R. “Back pain gets worse when the surrounding muscles don’t work.“, explains the expert. According to each person’s capabilities and to the extent possible, you should move and move your body to limit pain.

Putting your baby to bed causes back pain

Julien Montagnon says putting your baby to sleep can be bad for your back: “ In a crib with bars, a low mattress, you carry the child at arm’s length, bend over to kiss him… And as soon as he gets up and asks for something or fidgets, you have to start all over again!Faced with this reality, the expert unfortunately has no alternative. “In general, when we carry a load, we must reduce the distance between it and ourselves, which means bringing it closer to our chest. This is something we do spontaneously, but in certain situations it can elude us.” Some beds can be adjusted in height, be sure to check this if your child is unable to stand up alone.