How Lifestyle Choices Cause Back and Neck Pain And What To Do About It

Another article about the importance of adopting healthier habits? That’s not exactly breaking news. But consider this angle: If you struggle with back or neck pain, your lifestyle choices could be the culprit. 

Unlike a virus, you don’t just catch a bout of low back- or neck pain. While some people can attribute it to hereditary degenerative conditions, for most individuals, the culprits behind body aches, pain, and stiffness are their lifestyle choices:

• Not eating a nutrient-dense diet may cause pain-causing inflammation.
• Not being active enough causes excess weight and pressure on the joints.
• Frequent smoking can contribute to poor circulation and dehydrated joints.

But first, let’s explore… 

The Connection Between Being Overweight And Pain

Perhaps it’s easy to understand how being obese puts one at a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and other metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. But for some people, the connection between being overweight and having pain or discomfort in the neck or back may not be crystal clear. 

A study in the journal, Medicine, suggests that obesity and unhealthy lifestyle factors are associated with cervicalgia and low back pain. Don’t worry, cervicalgia isn’t a contagious disease. Rather, it’s the medical term that describes pain radiating in the cervical spine, aka neck pain. 

The research showed that the leading contributor to cervicalgia and low back pain among people with a high body mass index (BMI) and weight circumference isn’t obesity itself. Rather, it’s because of a sedentary lifestyle. The second leading causal factor of pain from the study was heavy physical labor, followed by smoking and alcohol consumption. 

When you eat a diet consisting of mostly highly processed food (crackers, chips, other snacks, deli meats, cereal), those mostly empty calories coupled with a sedentary lifestyle cause excess weight. This extra weight stresses the supporting structures of the spinal column, which can result in pain. 

So let’s take a look at some ways to improve lifestyle habits. Not only will you get healthier, but you may also experience less pain and discomfort in your lower back and neck.

Eating Healthier To Prevent Back And Neck Pain

The problem with highly processed foods is that they are formulated to taste irresistible. The combination of sugar, salt, and artificial flavors elicits a surge of dopamine, the pleasure and reward neurotransmitter. It’s hard to switch to a diet of kale salads when you’re used to eating things that are engineered to make you addicted. 

This is the reason it might be challenging to drastically alter your diet, especially all at once. Therefore, start making changes, one or two at a time, by working with a trained dietitian or health coach or by introducing methods to hold yourself accountable.

Getting More Exercise To Reduce Pain

Being physically active, even at a low intensity, is paramount for improving blood circulation and drainage of the lymphatic system, the latter of which is like the sewer system of your body. Lymph nodes throughout the body filter toxins. A sluggish lymphatic system leads to an accumulation of toxins, inflammation, swelling, or nerve compression. All of these factors can lead to physical pain or discomfort anywhere in the body, including the lower back and neck. 

So what should you do to get more physical activity if you’re starting from ground zero? 

Walk, don’t run. 

Walking and other low-joint impact, low-intensity activities are gentle on the spine and may help to lessen the severity of pain. As one study published in Disability and Rehabilitation concludes, “pain, disability, quality of life and fear-avoidance similarly improve by walking or exercise in chronic low back pain. Walking may be considered as an alternative to other physical activity.”

Movement matters. Every step counts. Start parking in a spot that’s furthest away from the store. Spend more time gardening. Walk in place while you watch TV. Or at least do so during commercials. Try to get those 10,000 steps a day in!

In addition, consider purchasing an exercise ball and practicing simple core-strengthening exercises that you can follow along with on videos. If you have the budget, invest in a package of personal fitness training sessions. If you have good health insurance, see if it covers physical therapy and schedule an appointment.

Smoking + Pain = More Pain

You don’t need another lecture that smoking is bad for you. But if you do smoke, you may not know that smoking exacerbates pain. In a study of over 8,500 people published in the aptly-named journal, Pain, “Smokers at time of pain consultation reported significantly worse pain intensities, pain interference, pain behaviors, physical functioning, fatigue, sleep-related impairment, sleep disturbance, anger, emotional support, depression, and anxiety symptoms than non-smokers.” The 2019 study says that although smoking rates have declined, 16% of U.S. adults maintain the habit. 

The $64,000 question then becomes, how do you quit something that is so addictive? The subject of this topic would be fitting for another article. But there are a few quick options to mention here, including: 

• Smoking-cessation prescription medicines
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Nicotine replacements
• Writing goals down

A Simple Solution To Reduce Back & Neck Pain From Home

Lie down on your back. Apply a Comfort Visor™ to your forehead. Pump it up. 

No matter your lifestyle, that’s all it takes to enjoy the potential pain-reducing effects of Posture Pump® devices. When you inflate the Posture Pump®, you feel a gentle expansion of the spine. Within a session of just 5 minutes to start and building up to 15 minutes, your vertebrae can be better nourished, hydrated, and flexible. 

Posture Pump® is easy to use on your own and very affordable. Lifestyle pain management solutions from Posture Pump® range from just $149 to $299.  Supported by research studies, Posture Pump’s® Expanding Ellipsoidal Decompression (EED®) technology reshapes the natural lordotic curve of the neck and lower back. This leads to an actual reversal of spinal decompression, offering relief from low back discomfort.

Millions Sold, Millions of Success Stories

More than 3 million Posture Pump® units have been sold and the feedback has been extraordinary. Not only do everyday people use Posture Pump® devices to prevent or manage back and neck pain, but even doctors recommend it to their patients. 

Here’s just one out of thousands of positive product reviews:

 “I have put many of my patients on the cervical Posture Pump® with very good results. I have seen whiplash injuries recover much faster to the correct cervical lordosis with decreased nerve interference and decreased cervical brachial pain. I have also seen chronic cervical arthritis with disc degeneration improve to the point of greater disc height which reduces pain and numbness with improved limb function. Thank you for a product that really works and does what it says it will do.”

-- K. Sam C., D.C.; Plano, TX

As the saying at Posture Pump® headquarters goes, “Nothing works like Posture Pump®. Nothing!™”

If you’re unsatisfied with Posture Pump®, return it within 60 days for a full refund minus shipping. There’s no risk in trying, and the benefits could transform your quality of life.

Get in front of your neck and back pain now. 

Order a Posture Pump today.