Happy Easter goyim! I imagine most of you will be in church, getting together with family, hunting for Easter eggs, or getting photos of your children with the Easter bunny. I wish I knew you all by something more than your avatar so I could send you a card. Oh well. I will munch some matzah and hope you enjoy your day. Try not to overdose on candy.

For some of you, this day may be a little more difficult than most having to lift children or crawl on the ground. Back pain can make any day more difficult.

 

Symptoms

Back pain can range from a muscle aching to a shooting, burning, or stabbing sensation. In addition, the pain may radiate down your leg or worsen with bending, twisting, lifting, standing, or walking.

 

Causes

Conditions commonly linked to back pain include:

  • Muscle or ligament strain. Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward movement can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. If you are in poor physical condition, constant strain on your back can cause painful muscle spasms.
  • Bulging or ruptured disks.
  • Arthritis. Osteoarthritis can affect the lower back. In some cases, arthritis in the spine can lead to a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord, a condition called spinal stenosis.
  • Osteoporosis. Your spine’s vertebrae can develop painful fractures if your bones become porous and brittle.

 

Risk factors

These factors might put you at greater risk of developing back pain:

  • Age. Back pain is more common as you get older, starting around age 30 or 40.
  • Lack of exercise. Weak, unused muscles in your back and abdomen might lead to back pain.
  • Excess weight. Excess body weight puts extra stress on your back.
  • Diseases. Some types of arthritis and cancer can contribute to back pain.
  • Improper lifting. Using your back instead of your legs can lead to back pain. Please not the importance of “improper.” Exercising your back, including your lower back, is an effective way to avoid back pain.
  • Psychological conditions. People prone to depression and anxiety appear to have a greater risk of back pain.
  • Smoking. Smokers have increased rates of back pain. This may occur because smoking prompts more coughing, which can lead to herniated disks. Smoking can also decrease blood flow to the spine and increase the risk of osteoporosis.

 

Prevention

To keep your back healthy and strong:

  • Exercise.
  • Build muscle strength and flexibility. Abdominal and back muscle exercises, which strengthen your core, help condition these muscles so that they work together like a natural corset for your back.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight strains back muscles.
  • Quit smoking. Smoking increases your risk of low back pain. The risk increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day, so quitting should help reduce this risk.

 

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What do for this week’s music? There seem to be multiple perspectives on Easter within the world of hard rock and heavy metal. On the reverent side, there is this. For those who are more skeptical, there is this. For the Red Sea Pedestrians among us, there is something else.