Short answer? Sitting. If I had my way we would all be standing and all chairs would be burned, unfortunately thatâs not the case.
At least 80% of America is sitting on a regular basis. The #1 cause of mid back pain is sitting with poor posture. People usually have their chins out, shoulders forward, slumping in the chair, and they are crossing their feet.
Who would have thought such a seemingly harmless position could do so much damage over time?
Your spine matures around age 28 where it goes from mostly cartilage into bone. And through this process you are literally molding that cartilage and when we sit with bad posture for 20 yearsâŠ. Thatâs what we get at the end.
How does the injury actually happen?
Patients often tell me, I donât understand how this could have happened! I didnât do anything that day, and then when I opened my car door after work I injured it!
At the office we call this âThe Last Bend In The Paperclipâ.
- If you sleep bad for 6-8 hours
- Drive to work in bad posture
- Donât breathe throughout the day to keep your mid back muscles engaged
- Sit in bad posture for another 6-8 hours
That is a-lot of hidden pressure and stress that you have put your body through from a biomechanical standpoint and it is that time under tension that made you vulnerable to such a seemingly harmless action to cause your injury.
There are many things you can do to help with your mid back pain, but often times the joint is already stuck and needs to be released first. If your at home treatments aren’t working, come see us :)
