Campus correspondent
Last Modified: Thursday, December 6, 2007 at 12:00 a.m.
Whether walking across campus in flip-flops, carrying a backpack full of books or sitting down hunched over at the library studying for too long, all these activities can lead to damaging one of the most important parts of the body - your back.
"Pretty much the older you get, back pain is the most common, biggest complaint. I have never met a back-pain-free individual," said Dr. Karen M. von Deneen, who works for UF as a massage therapist running her own practice.
"Technically, we are meant to walk on all four. Walking standing up puts a lot of stress on the joints and in the lower back," von Deneen said.
Man or woman, people in general develop back pain, although through different methods, she said, and college students are also at risk.
Men develop back pain often because of their own carelessness, von Deneen said.
Men often lift heavy objects without using proper technique by not bending their knees and lift the object with their back instead of their knees and hips.
Also because of the biomechanics of different sports like soccer and football, men "throw out" their backs, she said.
Women, on the other hand, are more anatomically at a disadvantage because of a wider pelvis and breasts. Some women have breast implants that put stress on the middle back, and others wear the wrong bra size, she said.
Women also do too much and are on their feet a lot, stressing the trapezius, the muscle between the shoulder and neck, and middle back, von Deneen said.
In the weight room, many people develop poor lifting habits that result in back pain, such as arching their back on the bench press and poor form on the dead lift, squat and leg press, certified personal trainer Marc Rosa said.
"It's all about your hips," Rosa said. "Tight hips are what create back pain. The glutes are the prime movers of hip extension and when the hips are tight, the glutes deactivate, and the lower back over-compensates, creating back pain."
Back pain happens when the nerves of the spinal cord are pinched, von Deneen said.
A common injury with discs is when they rupture or herniate and must be put back in order by physical therapy, a chiropractor or even surgery, von Deneen said.
Surgery is recommended only in certain cases because it can result in permanent back pain, von Deneen said.
"The causes of back pain are multi-factorial," said Dr. Guy W. Nicolette, chief of staff at UF's Student Health Care Center. "Relieving back pain does not have an exact equation."
To counter the activities of everyday life that cause back pain, anyone can perform exercises to strengthen the lower and upper back, Rosa said.
In the gym, doing seated rows, or using the erg machine that simulates rowing, help with posture, he said.
Lunges, back extensions, yoga and pilates all help strengthen the core and lower back, von Deneen said.
The way people sleep also heavily affects back pain, von Deneen said.
For people who sleep on their side, they should sleep with a pillow between the legs so that there is no strain on the hips and pelvis, she said.
People who sleep on their back should place a pillow under the knees and a foam roll under the neck. People who sleep on their stomachs should place a pillow under the stomach and another pillow under the face to stabilize the neck, she said.
Other methods of treating back pain include stretching, massage and approaches involving Eastern and Western medicine, von Deneen said.
However, with all these exercises and preventative measures, people have to take time to take care of their bodies through good nutrition, exercise, good posture and more self-awareness, she said.
People predispose themselves to back pain because they bring stress on a daily basis through the small nuances of everyday life, von Deneen said.
"There are many modalities to prevent and cure back pain, but people don't take time to ask the body why it is hurting."
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