If your back has been hurting and you can't seem to figure out why, you might be overlooking some simple solutions. Making one or two simple changes can make a huge difference in your back and neck pain. Keep in mind that these are solutions to be used in conjunction with chiropractic care and home exercises to maximize the efficiency of the healing process.
1. Wearing a heavy shoulder bag or purse.
Carrying a one-sided bag, purse, or duffel bag could be contributing to your back and neck pain because of the uneven weight distribution. Putting your whole load on one shoulder puts excess strain on that side of the body, which causes the muscles on that side to work much harder, particularly the upper trapezius, pectoralis muscles, and the neck muscles. In addition, the other side of your body must compensate to maintain balance and keep you walking upright, which can lead to overactive quadratus lumborum (QL) and underactive gluteal muscles.
Solution: wear a backpack or carry a smaller bag to minimize the effect. Try to limit the weight of your back to 5-10% of your body weight.
2. Sitting on your wallet.
Whether you're carrying a thick wallet or a thin wallet, the extra bulk in your back pocket creates an S-shaped curve in your lumbar spine when you sit. This creates a "functional scoliosis," which is an adaptive curve that your spine adapts when there are uneven stresses on it. Sitting on your wallet puts your pelvis on a crooked surface, which creates an uneven platform for the rest of your spine to sit on. Then the muscles around the spine react to make sure you stay sitting upright, but at their own risk. The musculature on the side of the wallet gets shortened and contracted, while the other side becomes stretched, which deactivates the muscle. Those muscles are part of your core, which keep your spine safe, so you'll want them working at 100%.
Solution: take your wallet out of your pocket when you sit down, or carry your wallet in your front pocket.
3. Looking down at your phone all the time.
Since technology has developed and we now take miniature computers with us everywhere we go, medical professionals have seen a sharp rise in "text neck." While not an official medical diagnosis, text neck is a commonly used term for overuse strain injuries to the neck caused by looking down (like at your phone) for long periods of time. While a human head only weighs an average of 12-15 pounds, it becomes relatively more heavy as it tips off its center and is pulled down by gravity. This creates exponentially more work for your neck muscles. When your head is off center, it can put up to 65 pounds of strain on your neck; can you imagine carrying around a 65 pound weight all day?! A study done by Nielsen last year showed that adults 18+ spend about 21% of their day on their smart phone, and teens from 13-18 spent 29% of their day on their phone.
Solution: limit your screen time. Both Apple and Android have released screen time trackers for their devices to help people keep track of the amount of time they're spending looking at their phone during the day. If you're not interested in reducing screen time, try holding your phone higher so that it places less stress on your neck.
4. Using the wrong pillow.
Ideally when you sleep, your spine should be in as neutral a position as possible, including your neck. If you're waking up consistently with a stiff neck in the morning, it might be time to re-evaluate your pillow situation.
For side sleepers, a pillow that is too flat will cause the head to sink, causing a curve downward in the neck and stretching the top side musculature out. A pillow that is too tall will do the opposite, causing a curve to the upward side and stretching out the musculature on the bottom side. Additionally, it's a good idea for side sleepers to have an extra pillow to put between the knees to take stress off the low back, hips, and knees.
Back sleepers will need a flatter pillow than side sleepers, and should prop the head up just enough to be above the heart slightly to avoid an uncomfortable "head rush." Belly sleepers will have the most difficult time finding a pillow that works for them, as the size of the pillow may depend on a number of factors. It's best to avoid sleeping in this position if possible because of the position of the entire spine in this position. However, for those that prefer belly sleeping, an extra pillow under the hips can help to support the lower back.
Solution: take note of how your body feels when you wake up in the morning and test your pillow to see if your spine is in a neutral position when you lay in your preferred sleeping position. It is sometimes helpful to use a mirror or ask someone to help you identify snags in your sleeping position.
5. Not maintaining good posture when sitting.
Whether you're sitting all day at work or just sitting on the couch when you get home, good posture is critically important to your spine health. Working on maintaining your abdominal bracing is important, but can be tough to keep up all day when you first start using it, but don't give up! Make sure you're getting up from your desk or couch to move around for a few minutes every hour or so. Do a few stretches and breathing exercises to keep your blood flowing to your brain and body. This helps to keep your muscles working and limber to avoid overstretching and inhibition of muscles.
Solution: use a lumbar support or a rolled up towel behind your low back to help support the spine while you sit. Don't forget to work on abdominal bracing! Get up every hour or so to move around and reset your posture.
6. Not drinking enough water.
Water is vitally important for all of our body's functions, and if you're not drinking enough you might find yourself having headaches, joint pain, and brain fog. Drinking enough water can help lubricate your joints and prevent your joints from feeling creaky and uncomfortable.
Solution: try to drink your body weight in ounces each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, try to drink 150 ounces of water per day. Once your body is hydrated, you will start noticing all sorts of differences in how you look and feel.