Once you reach the age of 25 years, you may once in while start noticing symptoms of minor aches at the lower region of your back.
Four Serious Causes of Back Pain in Men
Back pain is one of the most commonly experienced symptoms among adults. Although men are less likely to seek medical attention for back pain than women, they’re more prone to developing back problems especially if their line of work requires manual labour. Back pain is usually caused by incorrect lifting or degenerative changes in the spine which can be controlled with back strengthening exercises and anti-inflammatory medications; but in some cases, physical therapy or even surgery may be needed. Although most causes of back pain in men are due to aging and overuse, there are other conditions that need to be ruled out when back pain is persistent. Here are some other, sometimes overlooked, disorders that can cause back pain in men.
Causes of Back Pain in Men: Kidney Stones
People unfortunate enough to experience kidney stones can develop side pain that radiates into the back. Kidney stones are more frequently seen in men and become more common with age. Men with kidney stones usually experience pain in the back, flank, or abdominal region which may be associated with an increased urge to urinate, burning with urination, or nausea. Since the pain only occurs when the kidney stone moves, it may come and go. New onset of severe back or flank pain, especially in a person with a history of kidney stones, needs to be evaluated to rule out this common cause of back pain.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
This not infrequent cause of back pain is often missed by patients and doctors alike. Abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the large blood vessel that carries blood to the pelvis and lower extremities weakens and balloons out. The danger of missing it is that the vessel can rupture with potentially catastrophic consequences. Men are five times more likely to suffer from an abdominal aortic aneurysm than women and they can present with back pain as the first symptom. Although they may be asymptomatic, men who have abdominal aneurysms can experience abdominal or back pain and cramping in the legs and feet when walking. Fortunately, abdominal aortic aneurysms can usually be repaired surgically before they rupture. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men with hypertension or heart disease. Any man over the age of fifty with heart disease or high blood pressure, back pain, and leg cramping should see a doctor immediately.
Prostate Cancer
Persistent back pain that worsens over time despite treatment may be due to cancer. It’s not uncommon for certain forms of cancer to spread to the spine. In men, one of the most common cancers to do this is prostate cancer. Back pain that’s associated with cancer usually gradually gets worse over time and may be associated with weight loss, night sweats, and fatigue. Any back pain in men that doesn’t improve after a few weeks needs evaluation.
Other Causes
Another cause of back pain in men that’s sometimes overlooked is osteoporosis. (Yes, men get it too). Osteoporosis can lead to painful compression fractures. Other more common causes of back pain in men are disc problems, spinal arthritis, and narrowing of the spinal canal – a condition known as spinal stenosis. These conditions can usually be diagnosed with an x-ray or MRI study.
NOTE: Don’t assume that back pain in a man is due to a strained muscle if it’s persistent or is associated with other symptoms. Back pain can be a sign of a more serious, even life threatening condition.
If it fails to improve, see a doctor.
SIMPLE AT-WORK EXERCISES THAT CAN ASSIST
Your office chair can be as hard on your back as a headhunting free safety. Initiate damage control with these at-work guidelines.
Move Around
"The best posture for sitting is one that changes frequently," says McGill. That’s because it varies the location of the stress on your spine, instead of focusing all of it on the same area. Try putting your feet up, leaning your chair back, and raising or lowering the height of your seat throughout the day, while maintaining the natural arch in your back. If you look like you’re celebrating the close of a big deal, so much the better.
It’ll keep your boss guessing and inspire your rivals to spend more time spying on you and less romancing their own clients.
Avoid rounding your back to lean forward and resting your elbows on your knees or your desk. Look like you’re slumping and you’ll soon have a reason to be.
Stand Up, Stand Up, Sit Down
If you’re a desk jockey, McGill recommends leaving your chair every 20 to 30 minutes to give your back intermittent breaks from the increased stress of sitting. "Try standing up anytime you talk on the phone, to keep yourself in the habit." Another trick: Drink lots of water. Your bathroom breaks will give you an excuse to take your spine for a spin.
Reach High
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended straight above your head. Slowly reach your hands toward the ceiling. As you reach, inhale deeply, then lower your arms to your sides. Use this exercise whenever you take a break from sitting, to reduce chair-bound back stress.
Keep a Stiff Lower Back
The most dangerous position for your spine is fully flexed, or bent forward like the letter C. Avoid that position by keeping your lower back in its naturally arched alignment (as it is when you’re standing with good posture) when you lean forward to do hamstring stretches, or when you do deadlifts and good-mornings in the weight room. And if you have any degree of lower-back pain, avoid these exercises altogether until it subsides.
Take It Easy in the Morning
Your intervertebral disks-the fluid-filled cushions located between your vertebrae-are like your bladder in the early morning: full. You know how to take care of a full bladder, but there isn’t much you can do to drain your spinal disks, other than give them time to drain on their own. The problem: Fully hydrated disks are larger and less flexible when bending. Forcing them to bend in this situation causes three times more stress on them than later in the day, when they’re less hydrated and more pliable.
Walking can speed the fluid loss from the disks, so in theory a good warm-up on a treadmill would lessen the risk. McGill recommends that you wait at least 2 hours after waking before attempting a workout that includes a lot of spine bending. Moves that aren’t morning-friendly include abdominal exercises and heavy lower-body exercises, such as squats and deadlifts. The stress they cause can push a disk out from between your vertebrae, resulting in a herniated disk-and lots of pain.
Breathe Normally
We’ve all been taught to exhale when lifting a weight and inhale while lowering it. The idea, like so many others, is based on good intentions. If you hold your breath during a lift, you cause a small increase in blood pressure. That’s why trainers tell clients to exhale during a heavy lift. But that breath in your lungs does more than spike your blood pressure. It also provides support for your spinal column. And it’s completely unnatural to destabilize your spine while lifting a heavy weight.
How can I prevent it?
Prevention is obviously better than cure! There are many day-to-day activities that can provoke back pain, and if you are aware of the correct ways to sit, stand, bend and lift this will help in prevention. Think about how you can modify the way in which you go about your daily life and work so that you don’t put undue strain on your back.
• When standing, try not to slouch. If you stand tall with your legs apart, and pull in your tummy, you will ensure that your lumbar spine curves inwards correctly. You may notice that people who have recurrent low back pain tend to have flat lumbar spines.
• When sitting, get your buttocks against the back of the chair, ensuring you are as upright as possible. Put a cushion or soft support into the small of your back. If a chair is too low it will be a struggle to get out of, and back strain may ensue.
• When bending down to pick something up, remember to squat with a straight back and bend your knees to lower yourself.
• When lifting or carrying, where possible try to have the object (e.g. a heavy box) close to you and not at arms length where it can cause back strain. Use your legs to absorb some of the effort required to lift. If appropriate split the load so you are carrying two separate weights. This evens up the strain on the spine.
• Keep your weight down. Excess weight puts a strain on the spine, which in turn makes low back pain more likely. If you are overweight it makes it more difficult to cope with low back pain and delays your recovery.
• Gentle exercise, such as walking or swimming, increases the strength in the back muscles and improves mobility, which helps to reduce the likelihood of attacks of back pain. But it is vital not to overstretch in any direction as this may cause rather than prevent pain. If possible get advice from a qualified instructor to ensure you is doing an exercise correctly (e.g. the traditional sit-up with legs held down should be avoided).
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