Well, well. I’ve come upon this subject because guess what? My back hurt all day and it didn’t go away until after I fell asleep.
I personally have back pain from scoliosis (and let’s be real, just awful posture) and I get back pain at least 6 out of 7 days a week. I need to feel a nice steady row of clicks and clacks when I stretch and crack my back to feel like I can breathe again. I know, it sounds kind of gross, but it literally feels that way.
As something that used to be categorized as the “old person’s illness,” it’s been hitting the younger generation more often than some would have thought. Americans do sit a lot, from the workplace offices to relaxation at home. There’s been many studies lately talking about how increased sitting time, whether in traffic or extended periods of time, can increase risk of illnesses.
Most of my joints crack at some point in the day; my big toes are a fun place, my ankles do really hurt, and I cracked my shoulder when I rolled over on it this morning. Ah, exciting times. Interestingly though, I can’t crack my fingers. Weird, right?
The thing that’s causing me pain is scoliosis, which is a curvature of the spine. Sometimes people might have it, but not at to a degree of hindering daily activities. I was maybe 1 or 2 actual degrees of curvature from a back brace. (Honestly, I would like one now if it helps.) If you happen to Google it (oh, you poor soul), you’d see S shaped spines and some really intense stuff. So now that my spine isn’t straight, it affects my shoulders and neck, as well as how they hold up my head. I’m not really sure what wrong with the other parts of my body, I’m just a middle aged person with a nice shiny young coating.
Here’s another weird story: I was about to go to sleep but there was this crick in my pelvic area (the joint that connects your upper thigh to the pelvic bone) and I just couldn’t crack it at all. Throughout the night, I just couldn’t sleep because it was too painful to get it to crack, but also too uncomfortable to fall asleep. (Which is why I was awake at 4 in the morning to make this site :D) But this type of thing happens all the time for me.
I also don’t take the situation too light; I do yoga and try to stretch and get up as much as I can. You see, as a super lazy potato, it takes me a lot of effort to be active. I like the idea of walking and getting out of the house, but take me running and I might just put you on a blacklist. I also have the problem now that I have to sit if I walk too long, and I have to get up if I sit too long. There is no greener side, sadly.
So the conclusion is: remember to exercise and stretch! Don’t take too much pain meds and schedule regular check ups!
(Can you tell that I’m in the medical field as well? )
Until next time!
Baking Traveller 