3 Simple Tests for Back Pain

Back Pain affects over 80% of adults at some stage. Yes you have heard and seen this countless times before. You may be reading this is pain right now and are one of these statistics. But… What if you are not experiencing back pain now. Is there a simple and reliable way to determine if back pain is likely to occur? After all if you know it is going to happen you can do things to avoid it or remove it before it happens. This will save you a lot of pain, time, money and grief, as back pain affects your daily enjoyment of your working and social life. The following is a simple testing procedure to work out if you are likely to suffer back pain in the not too distant future. It could be lower back pain, sciatica, upper back pain or even neck pain, but if these tests are positive, then back pain is likely to occur.nnBack Pain Test 1: Look at your self in a mirror. Stand without trying to get into the perfect position. Just stand in a relaxed fashion and observe any postural differences. You may notice one shoulder higher than the other, one shoulder may be turned inwards compared to the other. Take note of any difference in the gap between your arm and your body – it may be greater on one side. Place your hands on your hips and see if one side is higher than the other. One foot may point straight and the other not. Any changes, especially significant changes, indicate postural changes that are usually a sign of muscular imbalances. These muscle imbalances will lead to extra pressure on areas of your back leading to back pain.nnBack Pain Test 2: Lie on your back and slide the back of your hands under your pelvis at belt height. Notice if one side is easer to place your hand under. There may be a height difference or it may appear that there is more weight crunching on one hand. If your pelvis is twisted, when you lie down one side will put more pressure on your hand and less on the other side. This indicates a mis-alignment in the pelvis and lower back. This will commonly lead to back pain, whether it is lower back pain or sciatica. nnBack Pain Test 3: This is called a straight leg raise. If at any time performing this test you notice any pain, stop it immediately. Perform this test gently and slowly… Lie on your back and raise one leg slowly as far as you can. Rest your leg down gently and then do the same for the other side. Notice if it is easier to lift one leg compared to the other. Is there any pain or stiffness performing this test? Can you lift one leg higher than the other? If any of these occur, the test is positive which indicates there is pelvic and lower back imbalance and muscular imbalances. Lower back pain, sciatica or back pain in general is likely to occur.nnSo if you have any of these tests positive, and it could be one or all of them, back pain is likely to occur. It may be weeks or even months, but it will happen. If you are experiencing back pain now, you should aim to correct it now before it becomes worse or chronic. If you are not experiencing back pain, and one of these tests is positive, then you should correct the imbalances now. After all prevention is easier than cure. Learn to correct your back pain issues before they become painful.