Seba Cestaro/Getty Images
When you hear the phrase “back injury,” you might think of car crashes or sports collisions. But there are often sneakier causes of pain—sometimes from everyday activities you might not think twice about.
It’s a reality that Anna Klompien, 35, knows all too well: One day, without warning, a regular, habitual movement left her immobile for weeks. “I was bending down and twisting to grab my twin babies from the bed,” she tells SELF. “On the way back up, I immediately felt excruciating pain so bad I couldn’t walk.” An orthopedic doctor diagnosed the mom of four from Bozeman, Montana, with a herniated disk, which happens when the rubbery cushions between your spinal bones move out of place or break open.
You can’t always avoid experiences like the one Klompien had, but tweaking how you approach some common behaviors could help you dodge serious issues, experts say. Here are five seemingly harmless habits that can trigger a back injury.
1. Sitting—and slouching—too much.
Being sedentary isn’t great for your body, Sarav Shah, MD, FAAOS, cochief of orthopedic sports medicine at New England Baptist Hospital, tells SELF. That’s because sitting can put a lot of pressure on the back muscles, which can lead to pain. “Maintaining the same posture all day, whether you’re in a static position or leaning forward taping boxes at work, can lead to injuries from that sustained repetition,” Rebecca Pudvah, PT, DPT, CSCS, an orthopedic specialist at Athletico Physical Therapy, tells SELF.
On the flip side, routine exercise can strengthen your midsection, which can prevent injury. “Physical activity is also anti-inflammatory, which can help control pain levels,” says Shah. Set an alarm every hour for a quick walk, or get up to stretch for 30 seconds every time you close a box on a screen or get through a line of customers, Pudvah recommends. (Here are 10 effective core exercises to ease back pain.)
When you’re sitting, focus on good posture—where you square your shoulders and stack your spine so your head forms a straight line directly above your hips. Shah suggests putting a small pillow behind your lower back to help with this. Try to avoid slouching—where your spine hunches beyond this natural curvature—which can over-stretch your back muscles and contribute to issues.
If you work at a desk all day, Pudvah recommends keeping your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle with your feet planted on the floor (avoid crossing your legs). Make sure your eyes are level with the top of your screen so you’re looking slightly down at your computer, she adds. If you have access to a standing desk, that can also help.
2. Sleeping in a wonky way.
Maintaining an ideal posture isn’t just about sitting or standing. How you snooze matters, too, Karen Westervelt, PT, PhD, physical therapist and clinical associate professor for the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences, tells SELF. If you sleep in a position that puts your spine out of line, you might strain your back muscles.
One of the most common culprits is the fetal position, where your spine rounds excessively and overstretches your backs, Westervelt says. But as she notes, any way you lay can be problematic if it sets you up to easily twist—and potentially tweak—your core, particularly if you’re not fully conscious of what you’re doing. Westervelt recommends putting a pillow between your knees to prevent yourself from turning if you’re on your side. If you prefer your back, slide a pillow under your knees to keep yourself stable. Though you might be less likely to flop around if you’re on your stomach, it puts extra pressure on your spine—so probably best to avoid it too, as SELF has previously reported.
3. Skipping your warm-up.
Exercise is, overall, a good thing—it can help make your muscles stronger and more limber, potentially preventing back problems. But if you workout without warming up, you could hurt yourself. Here’s why: When you don’t use your muscles, they can tighten. So when you jump straight into an activity, Westervelt says, you might experience a strain or micro-tear.
Returning to exercise too quickly after an injury or sedentary period can also lead to problems, Westervelt explains. If you sit all week and then spend Saturday morning shoveling your driveway, your back muscles might not be able to withstand the activity. “If you’re not trained to do what you’re asking your body to do, then you’re at risk for injury,” says Westervelt. Lifting movements—say, picking up a heavy box off the ground or reaching for a heavy kettlebell at the gym—can be especially risky for your back. (More on that in a minute!)
Try to do a dynamic warmup for five to 10 minutes with moves that mimic the motion of whatever activity you’re about to do. (For example, walk with exaggerated strides before setting out on a jog, or do a few windmills before picking up something heavy). “This kind of warmup activates your tissues and prepares them to work effectively,” Westervelt says.
4. Picking something up too quickly.
Speaking of lifting: Even if you consider yourself decently in shape, lifting something in even slightly the wrong way can lead to problems. This includes the “bend-and-twist,” or when you reach down to grab an item off the floor and then quickly turn to one side on the ascent, Westervelt says. (It’s what happened to Klompien when she picked up her babies.)
“In that position, all the structures in your back are elongated to the point where they are not strong enough to take the load,” says Westervelt. “You put more strain on the tissues than they can tolerate, which can result in tissue damage, inflammation, and pain.” This can cause disk herniation (like what happened to Klompien), which can take months to heal.
Here’s how to grab something safely: Keep your torso straight and bend your knees to squat down (don’t hunch over to reach it). Pick up the object, keeping it close to your body as you straighten your legs. Resist the urge to twist, and just use your feet to move where you need to go.
5. Worrying about things you have no control over.
Stress doesn’t only affect your mental health—it can also be a contributing factor to pain. That’s because, when you’re feeling tense, your body is in a heightened state of sensitivity— which can make any type of aching feel worse, Pudvah says. Plus, when you’re having anxiety, you might be sleeping poorly, which can indirectly contribute to problems for the same reason, Pudvah points out. If you’re super fatigued, “your muscles aren’t ready to work, so you’ll find yourself in a slouched-over position that can cause back pain,” she says.
Of course, simply “stressing less” is far easier said than done. But if you suspect that tension is doing physical damage, try your best to calm down your day-to-day. “Find avenues that help you relieve your stress, whether you meditate, exercise, or get some fresh air,” suggests Pudvah. “Everyone is different, so individualize it toward your needs.” If you’re finding it difficult, remember two things. Relaxation, like all things, takes practice, and you might need to experiment around with what works best for you. Second? If you’re really stuck, a therapist can help—specifically one that treats folks with pain.
After three months of physical therapy, Klompien’s herniated disc finally healed—and she’s been extra careful to avoid repeating the bend-and-twist motion that hurt her. “Now that I’ve experienced how seemingly innocent movements can cause debilitating pain, I’m really careful with how I move around,” says Klompien.
It might feel like there’s a lot out of your control when it comes to sneak-attack back injuries, but there’s a whole lot you *do* have control over. Regular exercise, taking care of your mental health, and taking tiny steps to steer clear of certain habits can reduce the likelihood of problems. Just try not to lurch and twist at that fallen food scrap while cooking—no snap movement is worth your health.