"Back Pain Awareness".

To walk, sit, sleep and even stand, will be a big problem to you if you're a victim of back pain. I was once a victim, and I can confidently explain how I felt during those uncomfortable moments. I'm happy to participate in this awareness campaign about health conditions (back pain), courtesy of @afzalqamar. I'll begin by answering the following questions....

What do you know about back pain?

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Back pain is a type of discomfort or pain that occurs in the back region. This pains or discomfort can start from mild to severe, and can spoil our body structure if not taken care of. The pains you feel during this condition may affect either the upper, lower or middle part of your back. In most cases, a victim suffering from back pains, do feel discomfort in all parts of the back, and this is always very painful and uneasy to bear.

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Millions of people around the world are suffering from this health condition. This back pain comes in two ways, acute and chronic. In the acute aspect, you will feel the pains at your back region for a short period of time, and it vanished suddenly. But in the chronic aspect, the pains you'll feel may take several weeks, months, or even years. If you're unfortunate to fall into the chronic aspect, you'll be living in serious pains😢.

Have you ever had back pain? Share your story.

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Yes, I've been a victim of back pain, and the pain I felt during that period was unbearable, because any movement I make, either walking, jogging, laying on my back, or sitting erect, I'll still be feeling the pains, and I was like "I'm I going to die because of this pain?". I was scared that my spinal cord has broken, and thinking I won't survive it. Something led to that pain of which I'll write here briefly.

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I'm not a fan of hard labour, but I had no choice during that period my mother was sick, and I was looking for money by all means. I had to work at a construction site, where I was assigned to push some heavy blocks to a designated point.

^{That moment I sustained back pain}

I picked up that back pain when I filled the wheelbarrow with blocks, and as I bend down to pull it up, I heard a little crack on my upper and lower back. Work closed immediately, and I went back home panting and looking for remedy to subside the pain. To cut the long story short, I'm perfectly okay now, no more pain, no more worries.

What are the causes and symptoms of back pain?

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Causes

• Poor posture, such as sitting and sleeping can lead to back pain.
• Injuries, such as falls, sports injuries and accident (car, motorcycle, etc.) can cause back pain.
• Muscles strain, that's overstretching of muscles in the back can lead to back pain.

• Improper carrying of weight, or dumbbells during exercise can lead to back pain.

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Symptoms

• You'll start feeling weak and fatigued, especially when you lay down and want to get up
• You'll notice some kind of stiffness around your back region.
• Pain will be radiated to the arms and shoulders region, in some cases, to the legs too.
• You'll be experiencing some sharp pain in your back, as if you're been stabbed with a sharp object.

How can we prevent and treat back pain?

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Prevention

• Take a break from work, if your work involves sitting or standing for long periods.
• Maintain a good sleeping and sitting posture.

• Exercise regularly, and avoid lifting weights the wrong way. Do most of aerobic exercises.
• Sleep on a good and soft mattress to give support to your back.

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Treatment

• Apply heat or cold packs to the affected area to reduce the inflammation and pain.

• Engage in gentle exercise such as swimming, walking and sit-ups

• During this period, you need to sleep and take some rest for about 7 to 9 hours.

• Visit the spa for a soft and gentle massage frequently.

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Health is very important, and ignoring back pain can transform from mild to severe, and to the extent where we won't be able to walk again. So it's best we follow the preventive measures, because it's said that "prevention is better than cure". I'm hopeful this publication is helpful, stay healthy, stay happy.

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I'd love to invite @josepha @okere-blessing and @gabrielagg to participate in this contest

_{NOTE: All pictures in this publication are originally mine (except cover photo)}