Chronic back pain

If you have back pain for more than three months, we speak of chronic back pain. This pain is usually in the lower back. Are you curious about more information, such as its causes and treatment? Then feel free to read on. We will be happy to explain.

What is chronic back pain?

Chronic back pain is a complaint that persists continuously or recurs regularly. The symptoms do not heal on their own, and the pain may radiate to the arms and/or legs. It is referred to as chronic back pain if it persists for more than three months. To avoid the pain, many movements are avoided. This can cause muscles to weaken and the load-bearing capacity of the back to decrease.

Possible causes of chronic back pain

Chronic back pain can have several causes. The main causes are:

• Wrong posture: by adopting the wrong posture for long periods of time, some muscles have to work extra hard. This creates muscle tension, which in turn causes physical stress. This can lead to chronic back pain.
• Excessive strain: by overburdening the back, back pain can become chronic. Examples include lifting too heavy objects and/or adopting the wrong posture while lifting.
• A herniated disc
• Disc problems

Other causes of chronic back pain include:

• Unhealthy diet
• Alcohol and smoking
• Stress
• Too little sleep

Treatment

Chronic back pain is very annoying and can cause many limitations in daily life. Therefore, do not keep walking with back pain for too long until it worsens. We recommend seeing a physiotherapist or specialist. These can help you recover. We also advise keeping moving. This will keep the muscles, ligaments and joints supple. Are you sitting in an office? Then try to change (working) positions a lot and walk regularly.

Furthermore, wearing a back support can help reduce symptoms. You can wear these to support daily activities. It is advised to wear it as long as you experience symptoms. When the back pain subsides, we recommend not wearing the back support.