Your back pain might be caused by your own bad habits.

Chronic neck and back pain are common, but what most people don’t realize is that everyday bad habits can be making your pain worse. Because of the back's complexity and its weight-bearing responsibility, it's not surprising that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health says that back pain is one of the most common medical problems in the country. 70–85% of all people will have back pain at some time in their life – but only 5% will require back surgery to treat it.

Bad Habits include:

• Snack Sneaker
• The Strap Trap
• Slouch Potato
• Boiling Over
• Heel Appeal
• Night Frights
• Smoke Signals
• Superhero Syndrome

Learn about the bad habits for your back and what you can do to break the habit.

Snack Sneaker
Sure, it tastes good, but being overweight puts extra pressure on your joints and nerves. Learn how you can loose weight and maybe reduce your back pain.

Slouch Potato
Remember how your Mother always told you to stand up straight? She was right. Slouching causes extra pressure on your lower back.

Smoke Signals

Smoking affects the structures and health of the spine, including loss of bone density, drying out the discs, and degenerative changes in the spine.

Night Frights

If your mattress is giving you nightmares, it might be time for a new one. Mattresses over 7 years old or those that are too “cushy” may not be providing adequate support or proper alignment for your back.

The Strap Trap
If your bag weighs more than you do, it may be time to clean it out. Lugging around overstuffed accessories causes unbalanced shoulders, which could trigger back pain.

Superhero Syndrome
Heavy lifting or weight training can cause muscle imbalance, causing misalignment in your body and a higher risk for developing muscle strains, sprains, herniated discs and other back injuries.

Boiling Over

The way you cope with problems may actually be adding to your stress levels and triggering chronic pain.

Heel Appeal

It’s easy to be tempted by a great pair of shoes... but wearing high heels throws off your balance and can cause pain.