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- Age:
The first attack of low back pain typically occurs between the ages of 30-40. Back pain becomes more common with age.
Aging produces wear and tear on the spine that may result in conditions (such as disc degeneration or spinal stenosis) that produce neck and back pain. Having a previous back injury puts the individual at risk for another injury and increased pain.
- Diet:
A diet high in calories and fat, especially trans-fats found in fried foods, combined with an inactive lifestyle, can lead to obesity. Obesity has been found to be a major risk factor in the development of back pain due to increased stress on the back.
- Heredity: Some causes of back pain, including disc disease, may be genetic or passed from one generation to the next through genes. More research is being performed in the area of back pain and heredity.
- Race: Race can be a factor in back problems. African American women, for example, are two to three times more likely than white women to develop spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra of the lower spine (lumbar spine) slips out of place.
- Occupation: Physically demanding occupations, such as construction work and healthcare, which require repetitive bending and lifting, have a high incidence of back injury. Jobs that require long hours of standing without a break (such as hairdressing and fast food service) or sitting in a chair that does not support the back well (computer keyboard operation or writering) also put a person at risk for neck and lower back injury.
- Lifestyle: Back pain is more common among people who are not physically fit. Weak back and abdominal muscles may not properly support the spine. Clinical studies report that low-impact aerobic exercise is good for the discs that cushion the vertebrae.
- Although smoking tobacco may not directly cause back pain, it increases the risk of developing low back pain and low back pain with sciatica. Sciatica is back pain that radiates to the hip and/or leg due to pressure on a nerve. Smoking has been reported to negatively affect bone mineral density, lumbar disk disease, the rate of hip fractures, and the rate and extent of bone and wound healing.
- Poor posture, such as slouching in a chair, driving hunched over, standing incorrectly, and using poor body mechanics when lifting and carrying heavy loads, are risk factors. Sleeping on a soft or sagging mattress also can lead to back pain.
- Sports that involve twisting the back, such as golf and basketball, can result in back injury and they also worsen existing lower back pain.
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