Low Back Pain When Standing

At times you can feel pain from simply walking or standing for long periods. You may believe you are doing everything correctly. Still, the discomfort is there as a daily reminder that something is not quite right.

What Causes Lower Back Pain while Standing?
The lower back is made up of vertebral bones that are assembled to support the body in an upright position. A jelly-filled disk is located between each of these bones to cushion them and offer stability. Also located on each side of these back bones are joints called facet joints. These joints allow your back to be flexible when you have to twist or bend down.
If the disk and facet joints become inflamed, they may produce pain in the lower back when standing.

Does Standing for Long Periods of Time Cause Pain in the Lower Back?
As we age, the disks and facet joints may begin to deteriorate. This often produces lower back pain when standing during normal daily activity. When you are standing, the spine has a curvature, which may intensify contact between the facet joints. When there is inflammation in these joints, standing for long periods of time may worsen the inflammation and cause lower back pain.

Potential Causes

• • Stress. Walking or standing for long periods of time puts pressure on your lower back. If you are standing a lot at a high-demand job, your back muscles may tense; thus, increasing the pain.
  • Poor posture. Having poor posture for many years will affect the anatomy of your spine. The joints, disks, muscles, nerves, ligaments, and blood vessels in your back will experience additional stress.
  • Being overweight. Did you know that for every pound of extra weight places an additional four pounds of stress on your joints, including the facet joints in your back.
  • Sedentary lifestyle. Inactivity leads to what’s called Disuse Syndrome. If your lifestyle is inactive, you could unintentionally be causing the deterioration of your musculoskeletal system. Consequently, you’ll experience a long list of health conditions, including chronic lower back pain.

How Can I Stand with Back Pain?
Here are some tips to try if you are one of the people who have more pain in standing:

• Try placing one foot on a step. This limits too much spine curvature in standing.
  Stand for shorter periods.
• Stay away from high heels! High heels force the lower spine into increased curvature and can squeeze the facet joints.
• Consider a desk that adjusts from sitting to standing.

Many people with low back pain describe increased pain when sitting instead of standing. This pain is caused by flexion of the spine. Flexion happens in the seated position and increases compression on the lumbar disks. In this case, standing may reduce symptoms and control the excessive forces on the disks. This may help to reduce lower back and hip pain.

What Should I Do If I Can’t Make My Lower Back Pain When Standing Stop?
If the low back pain suggestions listed above do not help, it may be worth seeing a orthopedic specialist so that they may find out what is causing your back pain. Orthopaedic Associates of St. Augustine has a team of experts with world-class experts who can help you!