Low back pain: Causes and helpful tips for freelancers

If you’ve experienced low back pain, you’re not alone. Nearly every adult I know has experienced low back pain at some point in their life. I’ve experienced it several times too. The most severe one occurred after I had my second baby. I could not bend beyond a certain point. In fact, I had to modify any task that required me to bend. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

In 2015, an article on Lancet reported that low back pain was the leading cause of disability with about 540 million people estimated to have low back pain at one time.
Although there are several causes of low back pain the freelance writing lifestyle poses its own risk.

In this blog post, you will learn about how you could be putting yourself at risk. You will also learn steps you can take to get back on the right track of strengthening your back to ensure you enjoy the writer’s life you’ve always wanted.

What is low back pain?

Low back pain refers to pain located between the lower ribs and buttocks creases. The location of the pain is important in defining lower back pain.

This pain varies and could be dull and achy or even sharp and shooting. For some people, the pain might extend to the buttocks or the legs.

Low back pain may be short-term where it lasts for a couple of days to a few weeks. Or it may be long-term where it lasts for more than 3 months.

Causes of low back pain

Sedentary life

Multiple reports demonstrate that a sedentary life is associated with low back pain. For example, one study of 609 participants found that leading a sedentary life led to a 3.5 fold increase in the incidence of recurring low back pain.

In general, people who live sedentary lives often have weak and stiff back muscles.

Some people try to compensate for an inactive life by exercising vigorously when they get the chance, like during weekends. But, experts say this practice puts you at risk of injuring your back. It’s best to try to live an active life daily. If you’re having trouble exercising because of your busy schedule, check out some simple hacks to help you incorporate physical activity easily into your freelancing life here.

If you’ve not been active and want to exercise more frequently, you may need to ease into it. In addition, you’ll need to pay attention to your form and posture when performing exercises because improperly performed exercises cause low back pain too. A fitness expert can help you learn the right techniques.

Prolonged sitting

Sitting puts enormous pressure on the spinal disc and back muscle. When you have a huge project or an impending deadline, it’s easy to sit at your desk for hours trying to craft the perfect sentence. But this puts your back in danger.

To meet up with your deadline while protecting your back you should take frequent breaks to take pressure off your back. For instance, one of my favourite methods is to take a 5-15 minutes break every 45 minutes. You can create your schedule.

Poor posture

When you’re sitting at your desk working, it’s so easy to slouch and put abnormal strain on your back muscles. Most people already have a bad posture, but sitting for long hours puts you at even greater risk.

Sitting with the head forward and with the eyes looking downwards at your computer contributes to low back pain. So, it’s best to have your laptop positioned such that you’re looking straight ahead and not downwards or upwards.

If you don’t have a desk, you should aim to get one. Moreover, working while on your bed or your sofa does not allow you to maintain a good posture. When your laptop is on your lap instead of a desk, you will bend your neck. Your arms and shoulders also take up the wrong position.

Let’s get you properly set up

Setting up a work desk

Getting a desk and a chair means nothing if you don’t get the right one or use it properly.

Your buttock should be against the back of the chair, and your feet should be flat on the ground with the knee at about 90^o. Additionally, your elbows should rest at about 90^o on the armrest, and when looking at your computer you should be looking straight ahead.

Proper sitting posture to prevent low back pain

Learn more about proper posture here.

Red flag signs of low back pain

Although, posture, heavy lifting and a sedentary life account for lots of back pain, it is important to be able to recognize sinister signs of a more serious underlying condition. These signs include

Fever

Problems with urination
Problems with defeacation
Erectile dysfunction
Weight loss
Numbness and shooting pains in the leg
Buttock pain
Preceding trauma
Long term use of steroids

Any of these should prompt you to seek expert care for further evaluation.

Bottom line

Low back pain is pretty common. It is a source of discomfort. Prolonged sitting and poor posture put you at risk of developing low back pain. As a freelancer you spend tons of time sitting, so you should invest in an appropriate chair and desk. It’s equally important that you incorporate exercise into your daily routine to help safeguard your back.

Remember a healthy life is important in your dream of the ultimate writer’s life.