Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

Back pain can make certain activities uncomfortable or downright impossible. Recently, researchers in the United Kingdom surveyed patients with physical pain like back discomfort to get a better idea of which everyday actions they felt were the most difficult to perform due to their pain. We talk a little bit about the five most common responses in today’s blog.

Back Pain Makes These Everyday Actions Hard

When asked which common activities proved difficult due to their physical discomfort, respondents ranked these five activities as the hardest.

1. Exercise – It probably comes as no surprise that exercise is on this list, let alone at the top spot. Exercise involves pushing your body with physical activity and stress, and if you are dealing with pain from a pinched nerve in your spine, this strenuous activity can be hard to perform. However, it’s very important that you work to find some exercises that are more tolerable, because exercise and movement are great ways to strengthen your spine and treat a number of different back conditions.
2. Sleep – As we’ve discussed on the blog in the past, sleep is a restorative process for your body. Your body needs prolonged and uninterrupted sleep, and back pain can make it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep. Coincidentally, pain can become more noticeable if you aren’t getting healthy sleep, so it can be hard to break out of this cycle. Really work to improve your sleep habits by going to bed and waking up around the same time each night, making the bedroom distraction free and sleeping on your side or back so that your spine is in a healthy alignment for an extended period.
3. Long Journeys – Whether it be by plane, train or automobile, if you deal with chronic back pain, sitting for an extended period won’t be easy. If you have a long road trip coming up, check out these tips for reducing back pain while traveling by car. Stay hydrated, get up and move when possible, and make sure that you plan ahead when it comes to managing any prescriptions or medications that could help ease discomfort while on a long trip.
4. Sitting On The Floor – If you want to get on ground level to to play with your grandkids or simply perform some task on the floor, you may find this action hard to do if you have back pain. Many back pain sufferers say that the action of sitting on a hard floor is extra uncomfortable, and it can also be hard to get up off the floor without assistance due to the discomfort in their spine. We want you to be able to sit, stand and move without compromise due to back pain, so visit a specialist if sitting on the floor is something you avoid due to your back pain.
5. Going Up Stairs – The final action that made the top five list was going up stairs, and we understand how that could be hard for someone dealing with spine pain. Walking up the stairs puts extra stress on certain structures in your spine, like your spinal discs. If you’re dealing with a bulging, herniated or degenerative spinal disc, walking up the stairs may not come easy.

If you find that any of the above activities are difficult for you to achieve because of back pain, do right by your body by connecting with a spine specialist in your area. In the greater Stillwater or Twin Cities area, we hope you’ll reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his team. Check out the ways to get in contact with Dr. Sinicropi on his contact page.

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