Back Pain in Men
If you look at one of those cavemen to modern day man charts, you will notice one big change: We go from crouched over to standing upright completely. Modern day men and women are supposed to stand upright, there is no doubt about that, and yet many people these days have a hunched over appearance dating back to our ancestors millions of years ago and really, it’s our fault. While with women and back pain you deal with a lot of anatomical differences like the fact that we have babies, most of the households in the US have stay at home moms that deal with the kids all day (picking them up, picking up toys, putting them in car seats, etc.) and women also have back pain because of genealogical reasons, genealogical reasons, or just because of everyday life. Men tend to deal more with back pain because of other reasons completely. A lot of it has to do with the macho-man complex - yes, a lot of men do have back pain and back issues because they lift things they shouldn’t have, or because of other reasons. Some of the reasons as to why men get back pain, will be covered below.
Texting and Technology
Most people will agree that texting is done between both men and women. Even though women tend to do it more, men still do it and it’s causing both sexes, a lot of issues when it comes to back pain! As mentioned above, we as a modern society are meant to stand and sit upright. But, when we text, we tend to slouch or sit in these really odd ways. When it comes to texting and technology like computers, iPads, and phones, it might be a good idea to start seeing yourself as you are doing these activities to figure out if you are indeed sitting/standing correctly or not. Chances are if you are not aware of it, you are not sitting/standing correctly and this can cause back problems - lower and upper, as well as neck and shoulder tension and pain as well. When you are texting, on the computer, on the iPad or doing anything else where your eyes are meeting a screen, make sure you keep the screen eye level i.e.; don’t text with the phone in your lap. Instead, text with the phone higher up so your neck and back aren’t bent in an unnatural way!
Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle in which you don’t move around a lot, you tend to sit in the same position most of the day, and it’s a lifestyle in which you don’t exercise can be very unhealthy for the back. People that live a sedentary life, tend to miss out on daily activities, they miss out on regular physical activities, even something as simple as walking, and they in turn starve their spinal discs, ligaments, muscles and soft tissue of much needed nourishment and nutrition. When a person has a sedentary lifestyle, they tend to have discs in their backs that are degenerated and malnourished which causes them to be weak, which causes them to be painful - or worse. When a person has weak muscles, discs, ligaments, etc. and they do things like get up off of the couch, or get up off of their computer chair, they are more prone to hurting themselves because their backs aren’t as strong as someone who has a healthy and active lifestyle!
Lifting Incorrectly
It doesn’t matter if you are lifting your kid, lifting a tool from the tool bench, lifting a box, or if you are weight lifting, you can occasionally lift something incorrectly, which can make you hurt your back. When it comes to back pain, this is one of the most common questions about back pain in men that men. Not only is it important to know how to lift correctly, but it’s important that you are in shape and that you are not overweight. Both of these factors can actually increase back problems when lifting. In order to lift correctly - no matter what it is you are lifting, it’s important that you DO bend at your knees, not your back. You also want to keep your back straight and try to tighten your ab muscles when doing so. Make sure you are keeping your shoulders square and in line with your hips, and try NOT to pivot with your feet planted on the ground - don’t cross left or right without moving your feet, this can cause back problems too. Women should only lift things that are 20% of their body weight i.e.; if you are a female and you weigh 145lbs, the biggest thing you should be picking up is something that weighs 29lbs. If you are a male, the biggest things you lift, should only be 45% of what you weigh i.e.; if you weigh 200lbs you should only lift things that are 40lbs or less - don’t be a macho man! You might seriously hurt yourself.
Texting and Technology
Most people will agree that texting is done between both men and women. Even though women tend to do it more, men still do it and it’s causing both sexes, a lot of issues when it comes to back pain! As mentioned above, we as a modern society are meant to stand and sit upright. But, when we text, we tend to slouch or sit in these really odd ways. When it comes to texting and technology like computers, iPads, and phones, it might be a good idea to start seeing yourself as you are doing these activities to figure out if you are indeed sitting/standing correctly or not. Chances are if you are not aware of it, you are not sitting/standing correctly and this can cause back problems - lower and upper, as well as neck and shoulder tension and pain as well. When you are texting, on the computer, on the iPad or doing anything else where your eyes are meeting a screen, make sure you keep the screen eye level i.e.; don’t text with the phone in your lap. Instead, text with the phone higher up so your neck and back aren’t bent in an unnatural way!
Sedentary Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle in which you don’t move around a lot, you tend to sit in the same position most of the day, and it’s a lifestyle in which you don’t exercise can be very unhealthy for the back. People that live a sedentary life, tend to miss out on daily activities, they miss out on regular physical activities, even something as simple as walking, and they in turn starve their spinal discs, ligaments, muscles and soft tissue of much needed nourishment and nutrition. When a person has a sedentary lifestyle, they tend to have discs in their backs that are degenerated and malnourished which causes them to be weak, which causes them to be painful - or worse. When a person has weak muscles, discs, ligaments, etc. and they do things like get up off of the couch, or get up off of their computer chair, they are more prone to hurting themselves because their backs aren’t as strong as someone who has a healthy and active lifestyle!
Lifting Incorrectly
It doesn’t matter if you are lifting your kid, lifting a tool from the tool bench, lifting a box, or if you are weight lifting, you can occasionally lift something incorrectly, which can make you hurt your back. When it comes to back pain, this is one of the most common questions about back pain in men that men. Not only is it important to know how to lift correctly, but it’s important that you are in shape and that you are not overweight. Both of these factors can actually increase back problems when lifting. In order to lift correctly - no matter what it is you are lifting, it’s important that you DO bend at your knees, not your back. You also want to keep your back straight and try to tighten your ab muscles when doing so. Make sure you are keeping your shoulders square and in line with your hips, and try NOT to pivot with your feet planted on the ground - don’t cross left or right without moving your feet, this can cause back problems too. Women should only lift things that are 20% of their body weight i.e.; if you are a female and you weigh 145lbs, the biggest thing you should be picking up is something that weighs 29lbs. If you are a male, the biggest things you lift, should only be 45% of what you weigh i.e.; if you weigh 200lbs you should only lift things that are 40lbs or less - don’t be a macho man! You might seriously hurt yourself.