What should I do if I have lower back pain after sitting still for long periods?
Since the outbreak of the epidemic, jobs and educations shifted quickly to online, and telecommunication has gradually replaced face-to-face contact. Excessive computer use is inevitable; not only is it time consuming, but it also induces a wide range of discomfort and health issues. Elders complaining of backaches after staying stationary for a long period is normal, but having the same problems now has many people wondering if these are the telltale indications of premature ageing.
After sitting for a long time and feeling sore and uncomfortable in their back, most people began to question if they had lumbar disc herniation. Is sciatica to be blame for my low back pain? Searching the internet for words like sedentary and aching back seems to lead to the same result. Frozen half-heartedly, this issue appears to be severe for the young.
Muscle tension and stiffness, tingling or burning sensations, and pain radiating from the waist to the gluteal regions into the legs are all common after long periods of sitting. Is lumbar disc herniation or sciatica the cause of all types of back pain? The answer is no, not really. What exactly is the source of back pain? Today, we’ll look at lower back pain caused by prolonged sitting from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine.
【1】Improper sitting posture
Long-term vision damages the blood, prolonged laying harms the qi, prolonged sitting harms the flesh, prolonged standing harms the bones, and prolonged walking harms the tendons, according to “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine, Su Wen, Xuan Ming Five Qi Chapter.”
Sitting still for an extended period of time slows the circulation of qi and blood in the body, causing the muscles to become undernourished, lax, and feeble. The physiological curvature of the lumbar spine changes over time as a result of tension. The curvature of the lumbar spine, which should be bent forward, gradually decreases or even becomes flat, causing symptoms of lumbar pain and numbness.
【2】Heavy dampness in the body
In Malaysia, where the sun is always shining brightly, the habit of using air conditioners and drinking cold beverages has long been inculcated in our culture. We have no idea that such habits will not only harm the yang energy in the body, but will also impair the functions of the spleen and stomach to transport and transform foods into nutrients which are the sources of the Qi and blood. If the spleen and stomach are weak, and the transport and transformation functions are impaired, phlegm-dampness is easily produced. Phlegm-dampness is a pathological product of the body that will obstruct qi movement and, when it condenses , will affect qi and blood circulation. Patients suffering from body dampness frequently experience a sense of heaviness in their bodies. When phlegm dampness blocks the joints and meridians of the waist, pain occurs. Such patients’ pain frequently recurs, and healing takes a long time.
【3】Inappropriate lifestyles
One disadvantage of working from home is the difficulty of balancing work obligations with family and personal affairs. After completing the task at hand, many of them find themselves up late at night. For parents with young children, the hours after putting their children to bed and finishing housework may be the only time they have alone to do what they want. Because they have little time to themselves during the day, they frequently choose to stay up until the early hours of the morning, playing on the phone or catching up on their favourite shows. Sleep deprivation as a result of retaliatory bedtime procrastination, combined with irregular meals, can easily impair our liver and spleen function. Imbalances in the liver and spleen will result in poor circulation throughout the body, affecting the qi and blood in the waist. Low back pain is caused by qi and blood stagnation in the waist area.
【4】Liver and kidney deficiencies in the elderly
According to Chinese medicine, the waist is the home of the kidneys, and the strength of the kidney qi function is reflected in the waist. A person is analogous to a machine. After the age of fifty, the internal organs of the body begin to show signs of wear and tear, and the middle-aged and elderly are primarily deficient in the liver and kidney qi. Chinese medicine believes that the kidneys govern the bones, and the liver governs the tendons. If the tendons and bones in the waist lack the nourishment of the liver blood and kidney essence, the muscle tissues will be prone to stiffness and spasm, just as a machine cannot function without sufficient energy. As a result of injury and restricted activities of the local Qi and blood in the waist, the elderly often complain that their lower backs are uncomfortable after sitting for a long time.
Aside from the causes mentioned above, lumbar disc herniation, sciatica, piriformis syndrome, and third lumbar transverse process syndrome should not be ruled out as causes of lower back pain. Make plans to see a professional physician for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible after experiencing discomfort, so that you don’t miss the best time for treatment.
It is everyone’s responsibility to look after their own health. Medical interventional treatment is just one of the methods of assisting in the relief of physical discomfort. Backache caused by prolonged sitting must be addressed fundamentally.
What should be done on a daily basis to avoid back pain?
【1】Practice proper sitting posture
is essential for decreasing low back pain. Avoid staying stationary for long periods. Switch up your position and posture for every half an hour when extended sitting is unavoidable. To reduce the strain on the lumbar spine, select a chair with a hard surface and a backrest. It is not advisable to sit on the sofa for an extended period of time.
【2】Modify your lifestyle and sleep as early as possible at night. Avoid staying up too late.
【3】Keep your waist warm by not using the air conditioner or lowering the temperature to 24-26 °C, and avoid having the air conditioner blow directly on your waist.
【4】Exercise regularly. Back muscle trainings especially in psoas muscle and lumbar spine muscle strengthening can reduce the burden on the lumbar spine and also alleviate the symptoms of low back pain.
【5】In terms of diet, try to reduce taking cold food and beverages.
Cold foods entering the spleen and stomach will damage the yang energy of the spleen and stomach, resulting in phlegm-dampness in the body. People suffering from backaches can usually benefit from eating more Eucommia, wolfberry, and black beans, as well as adding some warm ingredients to their dishes such as lemongrass, ginger, and so on.
If you are prone to muscle stiffness, you should avoid eating duck meat and salted eggs. Water spinach consumption should be reduced in the elderly.
【6】For health benefits and to ease symptoms of lower backache, massage the acupoints Houxi (后溪穴), Yanglao (养老穴), Shenshu (肾腧穴), and Mingmen (命门穴) for 3-5 minutes.
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