It’s one of those awful facts of life: sometimes your back hurts, and you just have no idea why. There was no injury, you haven’t been doing any heavy lifting, and you just bought the perfect mattress for your spine. So, what gives?
There are plenty of factors in our lives that affect our spinal health without us even realizing it. When you’ve ruled out the obvious culprits, consider these unlikely reasons for your back pain.
Poor Smartphone, Tablet, or Laptop Posture
Mobile technology has made many things in life much easier. Unfortunately, that all-too-familiar position of craning your neck to look down at your cellphone or computer screen—sometimes nicknamed “text neck”—isn’t great for your spinal health. The strain it puts on your neck can cause upper and lower back pain and make it difficult to maintain proper posture.
To help avoid or reduce pain associated with text neck, start raising your phone or tablet to your eye level when using it to maintain a neutral neck position. For computers, make sure your screen is at eye level—if it’s not, invest in a stand to boost it to the proper height. No matter what device you’re using, remember to take breaks and stretch your shoulders and neck.
Smoking
There are plenty of reasons to quit smoking, but you may not think of relieving back pain as one of them. However, there are significant links between smoking and back pain. Regular exposure to nicotine causes receptor desensitization, which can make low levels of pain feel worse. Smoking slows healing and cell regeneration, so the pain may last longer as the body struggles to heal itself. Additionally, tobacco slows blood flow to tissues and bones, which can cause a breakdown of spinal discs.
Tight Pants
Yes, really. Tight pants can restrict hip movement and cause you to unconsciously slouch, weakening your spine. Your limited movement and unnatural posture places stress and strain on your back as you may be unknowingly compensating for your discomfort.
It’s not just tight pants, either—pencil skirts and shapewear can cause similar issues. If you like your clothing tight-fitting, ensure the pieces you’re buying have some stretch to them, and use the two-finger test to tell if they’re too tight.
Wallets
More specifically, back pocket wallets. With your wallet in one pocket and the other empty, one of your hips is put at a slightly higher angle. While it may not seem like much, the imbalance puts stress on the lower part of the spine and can affect the sciatic nerve. For the sake of your spinal health, keep your wallet—and your phone, for that matter—out of your back pocket; instead, try a lightweight front pocket wallet.
Still struggling with your spinal health? A chiropractic adjustment from a trained professional may give you some relief. Let Crossroads Chiropractic help you get back on the path to a pain-free life. Visit us online to make an appointment.
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