But I didn’t even lift anything...
I hear people say this all of the time.
They come in with an aching lower back and swear they didn’t lift...thinking that’s the only way to hurt the lower back.
It’s true that the best or easiest way to hurt the lower spine is to bend and lift something incorrectly but, that said....
More lower back injuries happen from sedentary activities such as sleeping or watching a ball game than from being busy and doing something specific to hurt it.
Sitting or sleeping in the wrong position causes enormous stress on the sacro-iliac joints and over time, this stress causes the joint’s ligaments to weaken and lose their ability to restrain or hold the joint in the proper shape.
Once weakened, there is little left to hold it together properly and in the right shape and alignment.
Then all you need to do is bend over to pick up your sock and it can shift out of alignment and then - back pain is not far behind.
How do you avoid this?
Sit up straight, on your bottom, shoulders back (though not rigidly like you're in the military), and get up often and move around. Avoid sitting / slouching and putting your weight on your tail bone - It's not intended to be a weight-bearing bone.
Sleep straight, on your back on a firm bed (not a firm bed with a pillow-top), and with a pillow under your knees.
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