Back Pain Risk Factors
The vertebral column has four sections: cervical vertebrae, thoracic vertebrae, lumbar vertebrae, and sacrum and coccyx. Dr. Jose Mena, Interventional Spine Specialist with Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, says one of the areas that normally is injured is the lumbar spine, the lower back.
There are some factors that can increase your pain risks, such as getting older, poor physical fitness, being overweight, heredity, other diseases, job, and smoking. The doctor says some people with genetic conditions or who have a family history of back pain have another key component of risk of having back problems.
Transcript
WALK US THROUGH THE FOUR PARTS OF THE SPINE AND THE FUNCTION. > ABSOLUTELY. WHEN WE SEE THE SPINAL COLUMN, WE HAVE FOUR SECTIONS. THE FIRST SECTION, STARTING WITH THE CERVICAL SPINE OR WHAT WE CALL THE NEXT. THEN WE HAVE THE MID-BACK, COMPOSED OF 12 VERTEBRA’S OR 12 BONES, THE THORACIC SPINE. FINALLY, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT NORMALLY GETS INJURED OF THE MOST, THE LUMBAR SPINE, THE LOWER BACK. AT THE END, THE SACRUM AND THE COCCYX. > I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU MEAN BY INCREASE YOUR PAIN RISKS, AND RIGHT AT THE TOP IS SOMETHING THAT CATCHES US ALL. YOU GET OLDER, THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT ALSO, IF YOUR PHYSICAL FITNESS IS THAT A POOR LEVEL AND YOU ARE NOT WORKING AT IT, YOUR BACK IS GOING TO BE AFFECTED. > ABSOLUTELY. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR HAVING BACK PROBLEMS, WEAK CORE MUSCLES, AND A NUMBER THREE ON THE LIST, BEING OVERWEIGHT, LACK OF ACTIVITY, NORMALLY THAT PUTS A LOT OF BURDEN ON THE LOWER BACK AND EXACERBATES INJURIES. HEREDITARY — SOME PEOPLE WITH GENETIC CONDITIONS OR WHO HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY ARE ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT OF A RISK OF HAVING BACK PROBLEMS. DEFINITELY JOB-RELATED, IF YOU ARE LIFTING TOO MUCH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURIES ON THE BACK AND EVENTUALLY HAVING LOWER BACK PROBLEMS. AND OBVIOUSLY, OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS POOR LIFTING MECHANICS OR DOING THINGS INCORRECTLY THAT INCREASES THE RISK OF GOING TO THE GYM.
