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Phoenix Doctors Share Top Reasons for a Stiff Back

man complains of lower back pain

When you have a stiff back, completing a simple task can also be difficult. It is natural for you to find out what is the cause so that you can get the right treatment to alleviate your back pain.

In order to help you in the journey of your pain-relief, check out these top reasons of having a stiff back.

The stiffness in your back can be due to facet joint osteoarthritis - When your back stiffness is in its worst state in the morning and late evening, there may be a possibility that you are ailing from facet joint osteoarthritis. It can cause stiffness in your back leading to the breakdown of the cartilage in your lower back's facet joint. Consequently, more friction is created by your joint limiting your motion. Eventually, you get stiffer and your pain increases. You may suffer from facet joint osteoarthritis if you are more than 60-year-old.

Crack in lumbar herniated disc - Your back goes through continuous wear and tear over years. As a result, there may be crack or bugle in your lumbar disc's outer ring. This can cause stiffness and pain in your lower back. There is a leakage of a gel-like inner material affecting the neighboring nerve roots. The stiffness in your lower back due to the lumbar herniated disc can get worse due to movement. For instance, you may experience more pain when you get up after sitting for a long duration. Similarly, when you haunch forward, your symptoms may get intensified.

Improper sitting posture - Most of you sit for about eight hours every day. Sitting for such a long time can affect your lower backs, especially when you are not particular about your sitting posture. Some of the mistakes in sitting postures are as follows.

  • Staring up or down at the screen of your computer
  • You do not utilize your chair's lumbar support and hunch forward toward the PC
  • Sitting continuously on a chair's edge
  • Here are some of the probable adverse effects of the mistakes in your sitting posture.

  • Your lumbar spine gets stressed
  • Lower back muscles may experience strain
  • Your spine's anatomical structures can change over a long term leading to issues with your lower back's joints, discs, and nerves.
  • Hamstrings becoming tight
  • Hamstrings are powerful and large muscles present in your thighs' back. They can become tight due to various reasons such as lack of proper physical activity or not do stretching exercises before your workout sessions. It has been found that your pelvis' motion gets restricted when the hamstrings become tight. This can aggravate the stress on a lower back leading to stiffness. On the other hand, stretching the targeted hamstring can slowly increase the length of the hamstrings, relieving the stiffness in your lower back.

    Do not overlook your stiff back since when you ignore the problem, the issue may deteriorate. Rather, consult your doctor to track the cause and get a solution to reduce or cure your stiff back. Our providers and physicians at Phoenix Family Medical Clinic are board-certified to treat all types of joint pain. Let us assess your back and recommend some integrative medicine techniques for your back pain. We accept same day appointments and provide round the clock online booking.