If you think that it is only a back ache, you may like to re-evaluate the reasons why your back is aching for you. There are quite a number of reasons why we have back ache and you might be surprised:-
1) Carrying heavy loads with a poor posture
2) Poor posture and prolong sitting
3) Wearing high heel shoes
4) Indication of poor cholesterol control
5) Indication of kidney infections
I believe most of us know the first three causes of back ache. If you are a lady, you know how uncomfortable and dangerous it can be to your back to wear high heels, no matter how glamourous it is. But not many people might be aware of the third and fourth causes. If you think these lists above are too many, there are actually more, but I've narrowed it down on these two for today's post.
Back pain due to kidney infections
To differentiate back pain due to kidney infections, you may find bleeding and pain in urine. The pain may worsen if you press directly at the back where you kidney is (Kidney is located at the back of abdomen). Slight fever may also occur. The pain starts when the urine crystallise at the kidney as a stone that grows as it accumulates more crystals. To see some reccomendations, you can refer to my previous post on 'Urinary Tract Infection'.
Back pain due to poor cholesterol control
This is something that I've found quite interesting to know. As we grow older, our risks of higher cholesterol increase starting from the age of 30 onward, especially at the age of 40. Typically, the ratio between the High density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein(LDL) is determined using your blood sample. If your LDL is higher than HDL, it means that your diet contains alot of bad or unhealthy cholesterol. Having a higher HDL indicates a healthy cholesterol but if your total blood cholesterol is over 200, you should start to plan a diet program with your dietician or doctor to control your overloaded cholesterol.
[ Note: More HDL can help to remove excess cholesterol from the blood while more LDL can lead to build-up of cholesterol in the artery walls.]
Most people who has high cholesterol level usually are not very active individuals and are usually obese. Though the research study to link between obesity and back pain, it is logical enough that when one becomes obese, it increases the weight on the spine and on the discs, especially the lower back. If it is left unattened, your knees may be the next joint you'll feel the pain from. Take your fibre To cope with your cholesterol, you can start with taking more fibre; soluble and insoluble. Fiber is a carbohydrate that is not digested, but its function is to help to "wash out" the cholesterol. The best nutritious source of fibre are oats, legumes, fruits like apples and vegetables.
Garlic and Capsicum
Besides fibre, you should consider more garlic in your diet. Research done on 20 healthy volunteers and 62 patients with coronary heart disease shows that garlic can help to lower blood cholesterol, particularly the harmful LDL. It was concluded from the research that the essential oil of garlic possessed a distinct hypolipidemic, or fat reducing for everyone, including the healthy individuals. Taking Capsicum or the red and green peppers can also help in your back pain that is due to high cholesterol. It has been shown that capsicum can help to stimulate blood circulation, and lower your cholesterol level. Its benefits is due to the phenolic compound found in cayenne pepper and hot red peppers.
Exercise
You might wonder just how good can exercise be when my body is already in pain. I was surprised as well that it was only when I stopped exercising and began a sedentary job that started the pain on my back. When I went back to trekking on the mountains, I carried 8 to 9kg of my trekking bag and I didn't feel the pain on my back. Maybe because my focus of pain was more than that. Ha Ha! Anyway, for a moment, I thought it seems to have cured my back but when I head back to work on my desk and my sedentary life style, the pain just hits back. I am definitely not the only persons who experience this but if you have existing heart or lungs problem, a regular stroll at the park can benefit your health as well. Do consult your doctor just to be sure.
Other related links
1) Urinary Tract Infections in Adult
2) Tips on back pain relief and prevention
4) Capsicum as a herbal remedy
5) Back Pain
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