Our spines are literally the backbone of our foundation, supporting the weight and structure of our bodies and allowing us to accomplish amazing things every day. However, despite the strength and support our spines offer, they are also intricate and delicate and must be taken care of to function properly. Just one wrong twist or turn can leave you debilitated, paralysed with pain as your spine seizes up. Sadly, this is a common occurrence, as there are millions of people who suffer from back pain on a global scale.
Among all musculoskeletal disorders, lower back pain is the most prevalent condition, with 568 million people who suffer from it worldwide. Furthermore, musculoskeletal disorders are the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with lower back pain being the single leading cause of disability in 160 countries.
Musculoskeletal disorders significantly limit mobility and dexterity, which in turn can lead to lower levels of well-being, early retirement from work, and ultimately, reduced ability to participate in society. In fact, the NZBDS estimated in 2006 that 10 percent of the New Zealand population, or about 437,000 people had a back condition.
Alarmingly, these staggering statistics are rapidly rising, as population and ageing continue to increase. This also means that the disabilities associated with these musculoskeletal conditions are increasing and are projected to further increase over the next decades. Now more than ever, it is important to talk about back pain, how it affects your quality of life, and what you can do to take your quality of life back from back pain.
What is Back Pain, and What Are Some Upper and Lower Back Pain Causes?
Back pain is generally described as discomfort or sometimes debilitating suffering that can be associated with an injury or just straining on the spine from everyday life. While lower back pain is the most common form of back pain, back pain can be felt anywhere along the spine from the neck down to the hips.
While some rare and obvious causes of back pain could be a serious spinal cord injury or a medical condition directly related to the spine, it is often not possible to identify the specific cause of back pain. Doctors describe general back pain without an obvious cause as “non-specific back pain.” Frustratingly enough, oftentimes, back pain happens for no apparent reason. However, some other factors that can affect back pain include physical posture, how you are utilizing your back, age, and weight.
How Does Back Pain Affect Everyday Life?
Back pain has a serious impact on your overall quality of life because it has a direct impact on one of the freedoms that people value most—mobility. Serious back injuries have the power to strip someone of their mobility altogether, but even general, less severe back pain can significantly limit mobility, twisting it into a difficult and painful process. Back pain can make even simple, everyday tasks like walking, sitting, or travelling up and down the stairs an excruciating experience.
What Can You Do to Relieve Back Pain? Back Pain Relief Exercises, Back Pain Medication, and More...
There are many things you can do to relieve back pain, depending on the severity and your specific circumstances. However, if you have suffered a serious back injury or think you may have some kind of spinal medical condition, it is absolutely necessary to see a healthcare professional. They are the ones that can best treat you based on your personal circumstances and provide you with the proper back pain medication, surgical operations, or rehabilitation.
For people with general back pain that can’t be tied to a single cause or isn’t so severe, some things you can do to relieve your back pain include doing regular, general exercise that is easy on the back such as swimming or yoga, as well as specific back pain relief exercises; taking anti-inflammatory pain killers such as ibuprofen; and placing hot or cold compression packs on the spot that aches. However, if the pain persists for long periods of time and is having a damaging impact on the overall quality of your life, it is always best to see a doctor.
Whether you have limited mobility, are recovering from spinal surgery, are suffering from a spinal condition, or are experiencing back pain that is damaging your overall quality of life/ affecting your ability to climb stairs, installing a stair lift into your home is a practical solution to your problems.
How Acorn’s Stair Lifts NZ Help Take the Stress off of Straining Spines
Acorn Stairlifts helps someone reclaim their lives and mobility every eight minutes. This is because every eight minutes, one of Acorn’s high-quality stair lifts is installed into someone’s home, giving their life the lift they deserve.
Providing a variety of high-quality, user-friendly stairlift products; stress and mess-free installation; and superior stairlift servicing and aftercare are just some of the many things that set Acorn Stairlifts apart from other stair lift companies.
Don’t let back pain hold you back from living your life to the fullest. Allow Acorn to strip the stress from your straining spine with the help of our dependable stair lifts. Claim your free, no-obligation stairlift quote and home survey today to begin rising above the obstacles that once held you back.
