Why is it such a common thing, what exactly causes it?
(What can a human do to ensure the least chances they get it later in their life?)
In: Biology
PT here. I’ve seen a lot of answers that explain some of the pain, but not the true causes.
Most back pain the either in the neck or the lower back. We don’t usually see pain in the middle of the back. Why? It’s because of mobility. Joints can either be mobile or stable. You can’t have a lot of both. The middle of your spine is supported by ribs, which strengthens it. It also means it doesn’t move as much, but that’s ok.
The lumbar and cervical spine(low back and neck) don’t have any extra support. So they can move a lot. But with extra movement comes decreased stability. A more unstable system is prone to greater breakdown, and the resulting pain.
Also, you asked about why things hurt more as we age. Up until we are about 25 or so, we are producing growth hormones which help heal us. We are still growing, and our bones are not completely fused, so they are more flexible. This is why kids can fall asleep in the most ridiculous positions and wake up without pain, and someone in their 30’s will have a crick in their neck for a week with a lumpy pillow.
Yes, you can help prevent this by stretching, keeping a strong core, etc… But there are a ton of factors behind back pain, and it’s not a simple solution.
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