Why does my back hurt when I sit or lie down for a long time?

Doctor's Answer

I am sorry to hear about your back pain symptoms - there can be many causes for pain in the back, but by far the most common is probably posture and conditioning. If you, like most of us, spend long hours in front of the computer at work or at home, and then perhaps use your smartphone on the MRT or your tablet in bed, its these things which as likely to be the main culprits for your back pain. The posture we adopt while using these items can lead to weakness in the back muscles, tightness in the fascia and all can generate pain. One can also develop degenerative changes along the way.

The easiest thing to manage this is to look at your activities and see if there are any changes that you can make. This might be better positioning of your devices, regular stretching and perhaps taking up some exercise. There are, of course, other reasons for pain, such as joint, disc or nerve issues in the back, but there are often other symptoms to go with it.

I would suggest getting this looked by a Sports Physiotherapist, Therapist or Physician in the first instance. They can take a detailed history, ask about possible risk factors and organise investigations as appropriate. Treatments will be based on findings but can include exercise, physical therapy or other interventions.

I hope this helps.

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