The Hempe Guide to Lower Back Pain
The bane of many a reader's life, lower back pain is a common condition affecting around 80% of adults at some point in their lives which is a pretty alarming figure.
It has a large impact on society, costing businesses over $100bn each year and leaving affected individuals unable to get out of bed or perform normal activities.
The muscles below the spine, known as paraspinal muscles, attach to the lumbar vertebrae. These muscles act as stabilisers of the spine, helping stabilise the vertebral column against excessive movement. When these muscles become weak due to poor posture, spinal problems develop.
There are several conservative treatments that are recommended for lower back pain including massage, physical therapy and hot and cold therapy.
However, more and more people are starting to report fantastic results with CBD for their pain management and in this guide, we would like to introduce you to a new natural pain relief solution and ultimately recommend that you try HEMPE Hot & Ice gels.
But before we do that, here's some important factors to understand about lower back pain and its impact on your body and general well-being.
What causes lower back pain?
There are many possible reasons for lower back pain and it is always a pain that we should take seriously as it can affect the quality of our lives drastically,.
Common types of lower back pain are often caused by injury or an illness, such as arthritis, muscle strain, or stress. But it may also be due to a problem with bones, ligaments, muscles, nerves, spinal joints, organs, facet joints, spinal discs or blood vessels.
The lumbar spine is made up of four vertebrae. These vertebrae protect the spinal cord and nerves from injury. If one of these vertebrae becomes damaged, it can lead to lower back pain. Often when this type of pain occurs, there is damage or injury to one or more intervertebral discs in your spine. Discs are cushions between vertebrae (bones) that help stabilise your spinal column.
Lower back pain affects about 80 percent of people at least once during their life times. It happens when something goes wrong with one or many parts of the spine. It may be caused by injury to muscles, ligaments, bones, soft tissues, sciatic nerves, or internal organs. Many conditions and diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, sciatica, ankylosing spondylitis and infections may also cause lower back pain.
In a nutshell, lower back pain occurs when there is some type of injury to the lumbar spine or lumbar region.Some people might experience this by pushing too hard in the gym, or by constant bending over in gardening but for others, it could be caused by a condition like rheumatoid arthritis or sciatica.
In addition to these - stress, poor upper body posture, lack of exercise or physical activity, pregnancy, obesity, smoking, alcohol use or outstanding medical conditions are the main additional factors that can contribute to lower back pain.
Who does lower back pain affect?
Lower back pain is very common, affecting about 80 percent of people at some point in their lives.
Although lower back pain can affect everyone regardless of age, it does usually get worse when we age. This is because older adults tend to experience chronic conditions such as types of arthritis etc which can often increase the risk for spinal injury.
More frequently now, lower back pain is affecting young adults. This is because of our more sedentary lifestyles. It is affecting, disproportionally, men who work at desk jobs. The pain can be caused from sitting too long and doing repetitive tasks which tends to have an effect on sleeping poorly for a proportion of men. Sleeping badly also exacerbates the problem. Lower back pain is also the most common injury for golfers.
If you're suffering from back pain, obviously you will want to try and find out what causes it so you can avoid future injuries. When not caused by injury or illness, it can unfortunately be hard to get to the bottom of.
In many cases, however, it will go away on its own within a few weeks without treatment.
What treatments are best with lower back pain?
Low back pain is one of the most common reasons for visits to a physical therapist. The physical therapist will subject you to a physical exam and see what types of movements make the pain worse.
There is a really wide spectrum of responses in people. Many patients may only feel mild discomfort when lifting heavy objects and recover quickly with simple treatments. But some patients may have sharp pain that limits activities and some may suffer from chronic pain.
The most effective treatment for acute lower back pain is conservative therapy which includes:
- Rest
- Exercise therapy
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (counter pain relievers)
- Hot and Cold Therapy
- Massage
- Acupuncture
Chiropractors use spinal adjustments and spinal manipulation to correct misalignments and muscle spasms to reduce inflammation and restore proper nerve function.
Depending on your medical history and need of having it, sometimes you may receive an epidural injection to decrease the pain and increase movement. This is only given in extreme cases.
Lower back pain can be caused by several factors such as poor posture, sitting at a desk for long periods of time, and sleeping in a bad position. The best way to treat lower back pain is to try to avoid these situations and find ways to relax when necessary.
We recommend that you try HEMPE Hot & Ice gel. If you check the independently verified HEMPE Trustpilot page, you can see that a great many people are finding relief from taking these gels. They are saying that they are a powerful natural alternative to non steroidal anti-inflammatories so are definitely worth checking out. The gels are formulated by experts with a combination of the best natural ingredients that nature can offer combined with CBD.
It goes without saying that you should visit a physical therapist if you are suffering from severe pain.
Can CBD help with lower back pain?
In a nutshell, yes, it absolutely can, and it's proven to do so!
Research has shown that cannabidiol may be effective for relieving chronic lower back pain.
Although it’s not yet fully understood why CBD helps relieve chronic lower back pain, it is increasingly likely that CBD interacts with the endo cannabinoid system plays a critical role in pain sensations (PDF).
CBD is becoming increasingly popular among consumers who want natural alternatives for treating certain conditions. Check out the HEMPE topical pain relief range here.
If you're interested in learning more about how CBD can help alleviate lower back pain, here you can learn more about CBD in general and here, we cover how CBD is used to treat pain, more specifically.
How should I sleep to relieve back pain?
Sleeping on a firm bed is the best way to reduce back pain. If you cannot afford a new mattress, you can try sleeping on a foam pad.
Try using pillows to support your neck and head. Also, avoid sleeping on your stomach because it puts pressure on your neck and spinal canal, which could lead to injury.
If you have lower back pain, then sleeping on your side may help alleviate some of the discomfort. Sleeping on your left side might also be helpful as it is thought to have the best benefits for your overall health!
Finally, use lumbar supports to help keep your body straight while lying down.
Don't forget to be careful when lifting heavy objects such as suitcases, and try to increase activity levels and avoid sitting for long periods of time. Try taking frequent breaks to stretch and move around.
What organ could cause lower back pain?
Any organ could cause lower back pain. The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae, which are connected by discs. These discs act like shock absorbers between each bone.
When one of these discs becomes damaged, it may push against the spinal nerve roots causing lower back pain. Another common source of lower back pain comes from muscle strain.
This happens when muscles become tight and pull on joints. You may also experience joint pain or leg pain at the same time.
Is it better to sit or lay down with lower back pain?
The best position for someone suffering from acute lower back pain is sitting up straight, leaning forward slightly, and resting his/her head against the wall. This way, he/she will be able to relieve pressure off of the spine.
If the person cannot lie down, then they should try to find a comfortable position where they can recline. People who suffer from chronic lower back pain should avoid lifting heavy objects or bending over at all costs. They should also avoid sleeping positions that put too much stress on their backs.
Lying down with bad back pain can sometimes cause muscle spasms and worsen your condition. If you need to rest for a while, try sitting upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
What is better for lower back pain heat or cold?
Hot therapy helps relieve muscle spasms and relaxes tight muscles. Cold therapy relieves inflammation and speeds recovery. Both methods work well together to treat back pain.
However, if you are suffering from bad back pain, it should also be treated with physical therapy.
Can you prevent lower back pain?
Yes, you can often prevent lower back pain by doing exercises such as stretching, walking, swimming, biking, yoga, weightlifting, and Pilates. The key is to do these as daily activities.
Stretching helps relieve tight muscles and tension in the back. Yoga also strengthens the core muscles, which help stabilise your spine.
Walking, biking, swimming, and other forms of physical activity strengthen your cardiovascular system and increase endurance. Weightlifting and Pilates build strength and tone muscles.
As noted above, obesity can exacerbate the problem so maintaining a healthy weight or in some cases pursuing weight loss where appropriate can help lower the chances of back pain.
Lower back pain as we mention above is common among office workers, as sitting for long periods of time can cause discomfort. The best way to avoid lower back pain is to stand up from your desk at least once an hour, stretch regularly, and use ergonomic furniture.
Also, try to keep your computer monitor at eye level, and don't spend too much time reading email.
When do I visit the doctor?
Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments among adults. Most people experience it at least once during their lifetime. It's one of the leading reasons people go to the doctor but quite often the problem isn't serious at all and in many cases the pain will go away without treatment.
However, if you have severe lower back pain, then obviously it's important that you should seek medical attention immediately as it likely will not go away easily on its own.
The severity of your symptoms may require immediate treatment. If you wait too long, then the condition could become worse and you may aggravate it further without the proper medical advice..
Alternatively, if the pain persists, it may indicate other issues which require treatment from a specialist. So if you are experiencing the pain over a number of weeks and it is not getting better, it's always best to check with a medical profession.
Next steps towards remedying lower back pain
If you've read this article, chances are you're in the throws of discomfort and looking for a solution to your chronic or acute back pain, no matter what shape or form it takes - and we're here to help.
You're not alone in your suffering, it's a very common condition and it affects the vast majority of adults at some point in their lives and has a huge impact on society each year.
There are many reasons that we get lower back pain including illness, muscle strain, or stress and it is always a pain that we should take seriously but very often it will go away on it's own.
It's best to go to sleep on a firm mattress when the back is sore and the best awake position is sitting up straight but leaning slightly forwards.
There are several treatments that help like rest, anti-inflammatories, massage, hot and cold therapy but we recommend trying out CBD which is a strong natural remedy. Not all CBD products are created equally so we recommend trying HEMPE Hot & Ice gels.
Prevention is also better than cure so get to strengthening those core muscles!
As with any medical advice, we always recommend that you visit your doctor if the pain is really bad or if it doesn't go away over an extended period of time.