You probably never thought that your beloved morning cup of coffee, your cushy pillow or your squishy flip-flops could do anything but improve your life. But you might be surprised to learn that these feel-good accoutrements may be causing you pain. While aches and pains are common with age, pain can also be triggered by habits and lifestyle choices—even seemingly healthy ones. Here’s a head-to-toe guide to some surprising triggers of pain.
Caffeine
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? If you’re a regular drinker of tea or coffee, you’re at risk of withdrawal headaches if you skip; or even delay; your morning cup of joe or jasmine. Some people also get headaches if they drink too much coffee, but the caffeine threshold varies from person to person.
How to avoid it? Drink your brew of choice on a regular schedule, and don’t drink more than you’re used to.
Weekends
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? You wake up on Saturday morning with a pounding headache. Cruel! A couple of things can cause weekend headaches. One is sleeping late. If you’re a first-thing-in-the-morning coffee drinker and you sleep in, you delay that caffeine fix and invite a withdrawal headache. Or it may be that you've thrown off your body rhythm. People who are prone to migraines are especially sensitive to changes in body rhythms, so getting too much sleep may be a migraine trigger for them.
How to avoid it? Caffeine withdrawal headaches can be avoided by simply sticking with the same morning routine on weekends as weekdays. If you’re a migraine sufferer, try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time seven days a week.
Pain Relievers
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? Taking ibuprofen, acetaminophen or other pain reliever for headaches more than two days a week for a few weeks to months in a row can put you at risk for rebound headaches. You may notice that your headache comes back more intensely and frequently as the medication wears off. All over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers can cause rebound headaches, though they’re more common with products containing butalbital or opiates.
How to avoid it? Since treatment—going cold turkey, with most pain medications—is no party, it’s best to prevent rebound headaches in the first place. Monitor how often you take pain relievers, making sure you don’t surpass the twice-a-week limit, and speak to your doctor if you have frequent headaches.
Receding Gums
Where does it hurt? Your teeth
Why? Tooth pain isn't always caused by a cavity or dying roots. It’s often the result of receding gums. Teeth are made of dentin, which contains microscopic canals that act as conduits to nerves, and are protected by enamel (the part of the tooth you can see) and cementum (a substance under the enamel). When the protective tooth enamel and cementum wear down or the gums recede, the dentin is exposed, and anything that enters the mouth (food, beverages) has direct access to nerves via the canals in the exposed dentin. Ouch!
How to avoid it? To prevent receding gums and to protect tooth enamel, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and don’t scrub. Ask your dentist for a quick lesson on how to brush correctly. Also, a desensitizing toothpaste can help block transmission of sensations from the tooth surface to the nerve.
A Pillow That's Just "Not Right"
Where does it hurt? Your neck
Why? There’s not much research on pillows, but keeping your head and neck in a neutral position (aligned with your spine) while sleeping should help you keep from straining your neck. So, for example, if you sleep on your back and use more than one pillow, you’re probably tilting your neck forward.
How to avoid it? Experiment with different pillows (or quantities of pillows) to find one (or a combo) that keeps your head and spine as aligned as possible. You can also try a cervical pillow, which has a dip in the middle for your head to rest in and a raised side to support your neck.
Texting
Where does it hurt? Neck and shoulders
Why? When we do fine-motor work such as texting, we tend to tighten our muscles and hold our breath or breathe shallowly. The resulting muscle tension can lead to pain—not only in the hands, but also all the way up to the neck and shoulders.
How to avoid it? We recommend taking microbreaks (momentarily shifting position or relaxing tight muscles) when doing fine-motor work such as texting, typing or using a mouse. Place your hands in your lap and relax them, roll your shoulders backwards or simply lift your shoulders and drop them. Then go back to work.
Allergies
Where does it hurt? Your throat or sinuses
Why? Allergies can contribute to a sore throat, sinus pain or headaches, and that includes low-grade allergies that don’t cause sneezing attacks or itchy eyes.
How to avoid it? If you have sinus pain, a headache or sore throat that lasts more than two months, doesn’t respond to antibiotics or other treatment, or recurs every two to three months, or if you’re starting to develop asthma symptoms (cough, chest tightness), ask your doctor to screen you for allergies.
Acid Reflux
Where does it hurt? Your throat
Why? Having acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) exposes your throat to irritating stomach acid. If you experience acid reflux during the night, it may explain a morning sore throat.
How to avoid it? To prevent acid reflux, cut back on fatty foods, coffee, tea, chocolate, peppermint, carbonated drinks and alcohol; eat more frequent, smaller meals; don’t eat two to three hours before bedtime; if you smoke, quit; and, if possible, elevate the head of your bed four to six inches so that you’re slightly upright during sleep.
Sitting for Long Periods
Where does it hurt? Your lower back
Why? The worst thing for your lower back is to be sedentary, says chiropractor Donald Murphy. Sitting puts extra pressure on the disks in your spine. And when you sit for extended periods of time, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back (and other areas, such as the thighs) get short and tight. Over time, the muscles can become weak and disk pressure can increase.
How to avoid it? Move it! Walk around for a minute or so, and gently stretch your back by standing with your hands on your lower back and leaning backwards. If you can, lie facedown on the floor, place your hands beside your shoulders and press your upper body up by straightening your arms. This will take pressure off your disks.
Slouching
Where does it hurt? Your lower back, neck and shoulders
Why? When you slouch, your spine curves forward, putting excess pressure on the disks in your lower back—and disk pressure is the number one source of low back pain. Slouching while standing is bad enough, but slumping while sitting is even worse, because sitting already puts extra pressure on disks. In addition, when people slouch they often thrust their head forward and up, compressing disks in the neck, causing tension and pain in the neck and shoulders.
How to avoid it? Sit with your neck and back in a straight line with your spine. Get a lumbar support pillow, which is contoured to nestle in the small of the back, to bolster your lower back and help keep you upright. And get up and move around frequently.
Heavy Handbags or Briefcases
Where does it hurt? Your back
Why? Carrying a heavy bag over one shoulder on a regular basis can create imbalances in the muscles in your back by putting too much stress on one side of the body.
How to avoid it? Unclutter your handbag so that you lug around only what you need, and switch shoulders frequently when carrying your bag for long periods. Or switch to a backpack.
Being Overweight or Obese
Where does it hurt? Everywhere, especially from the waist down
Why? Being overweight or obese puts extra stress on your feet, knees and back. In fact, while you’re walking, your feet take on a force that’s about one and a half times your body weight. So if you carry extra weight, that force is multiplied and can lead to plantar fascitis (pain in the heel), worsen hammertoes and bunions, and increase the risk of osteoarthritis in the knees and hips.
How to avoid it? If you’re overweight and in pain, shedding some pounds may help relieve some of your discomfort. Weight loss has been shown to improve osteoarthritis of the knees as well as relieve back pain. One study found that overweight and obese people with osteoarthritis of the knee who lost less than 6 percent of their body weight with exercise and diet had a 30 percent reduction in pain.
Flip-Flops
Where does it hurt?Your feet
Why? They’re stylin’, but flip-flops offer zero support to the arch and tendons of the foot. It can also cause heel pain, commonly known as plantar fasciitis; even knees and hips can be affected. Plus, flip-flops leave feet unprotected from the elements and they’re easy to trip in. Podiatrists get a lot of business treating fractures, sprains, stubbed toes, and cuts and bruises caused by flip-flops.
How to avoid it? Save your flip-flops for the pool or beach, and reach for a shoe with arch and heel support (like a strap if it’s an open shoe) for everyday walking.
Poor Sleep
Where does it hurt? All over
Why? When you’re tired, you can feel tense and irritable, which can worsen any pain you might be feeling. Fatigue is one of the most common triggers of migraine headaches, and poor sleep is associated with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons that often has no known cause.
How to avoid it? If you have chronic pain, you may be able to alleviate it by improving your sleep habits. Get enough sleep (about seven to nine hours for most people) every night, and go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day (even weekends!).
Stress or Depression
Where does it hurt? Body-wide
Why? Brain imaging studies show a complex relationship between mood neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine and how the brain processes pain. When you’re depressed, you tend to be more sensitive to pain, and people who are anxious tend to have more muscle tension, which can exacerbate pain. Also, mood disorders often disrupt sleep, which can also make pain worse.
How to avoid it? If you’re suffering from chronic pain, studies show you’ll get relief if you take care of your emotional health, which could mean trying stress-relief techniques such as meditation, seeing a therapist and/or taking medication if your depression is severe.
Being a Couch Potato
Where does it hurt? Head to toe
Why? It’s much easier to strain muscles when you’re out of shape than when your body is toned and flexible.
How to avoid it? Get fit! Exercise strengthens muscles and keeps joints and tendons flexible, which reduces the risk of injury, but it also provides plenty of behind-the-scenes pain prevention. Working out releases feel-good hormones known as endorphins, which can mitigate pain. It also improves sleep and mood, fights inflammation (another source of pain) and takes off pounds—meaning less strain on joints. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Opt for an activity that you enjoy so you’ll stick with it. Good choices: walking, swimming, biking, yoga, stretching exercises or general strengthening.
Jogging on Roads or Sidewalks
Where does it hurt? Your joints
Why? Running on hard, unforgiving surfaces like concrete sidewalks or asphalt roads can cause shin pain and creates issues with the joints of the toes, ankles, knees, hips and even the back. With each stride you take, you bring two to three times your body weight through the foot. The stiffer the surface, the more shock goes into your body.
How to avoid it? The best surfaces for jogging are dirt trails or cushiony tracks. The right shoes can help, too: Visit a running store for help choosing the best pair for you, and replace them every 400 to 500 miles. Perhaps most important: Make sure your form is correct. A session or two with a running coach can get you on the right track if you need to make any changes.
Smoking
Where does it hurt? Everywhere
Why? Studies show that smoking can act as an analgesic and reduce almost any kind of pain in the short term. But smokers are at greater risk of developing chronic pain than nonsmokers.
How to avoid it? For this and many more health reasons, take your last puff and through them away.
A Previous Injury
Where does it hurt? Body-wide
Why? Pain is a part of life. We all strain our backs, get kinks in our necks and tweak our knees or ankles at some point. A big problem, especially with back pain, is that once people experience it, they become so afraid to move that they simply don’t—even when activity may be the very thing that will help them feel better. That reaction can lead to chronic pain, which is much harder to treat.
How to avoid it? Of course, be cautious after an injury, but try to return to normal activity as soon as possible.
[Source: ivillage]
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| Image source: shutterstock |
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? If you’re a regular drinker of tea or coffee, you’re at risk of withdrawal headaches if you skip; or even delay; your morning cup of joe or jasmine. Some people also get headaches if they drink too much coffee, but the caffeine threshold varies from person to person.
How to avoid it? Drink your brew of choice on a regular schedule, and don’t drink more than you’re used to.
Weekends
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? You wake up on Saturday morning with a pounding headache. Cruel! A couple of things can cause weekend headaches. One is sleeping late. If you’re a first-thing-in-the-morning coffee drinker and you sleep in, you delay that caffeine fix and invite a withdrawal headache. Or it may be that you've thrown off your body rhythm. People who are prone to migraines are especially sensitive to changes in body rhythms, so getting too much sleep may be a migraine trigger for them.
How to avoid it? Caffeine withdrawal headaches can be avoided by simply sticking with the same morning routine on weekends as weekdays. If you’re a migraine sufferer, try to go to sleep and wake up around the same time seven days a week.
Pain Relievers
Where does it hurt? Your head
Why? Taking ibuprofen, acetaminophen or other pain reliever for headaches more than two days a week for a few weeks to months in a row can put you at risk for rebound headaches. You may notice that your headache comes back more intensely and frequently as the medication wears off. All over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers can cause rebound headaches, though they’re more common with products containing butalbital or opiates.
How to avoid it? Since treatment—going cold turkey, with most pain medications—is no party, it’s best to prevent rebound headaches in the first place. Monitor how often you take pain relievers, making sure you don’t surpass the twice-a-week limit, and speak to your doctor if you have frequent headaches.
Receding Gums
Where does it hurt? Your teeth
Why? Tooth pain isn't always caused by a cavity or dying roots. It’s often the result of receding gums. Teeth are made of dentin, which contains microscopic canals that act as conduits to nerves, and are protected by enamel (the part of the tooth you can see) and cementum (a substance under the enamel). When the protective tooth enamel and cementum wear down or the gums recede, the dentin is exposed, and anything that enters the mouth (food, beverages) has direct access to nerves via the canals in the exposed dentin. Ouch!
How to avoid it? To prevent receding gums and to protect tooth enamel, use a soft-bristled toothbrush and don’t scrub. Ask your dentist for a quick lesson on how to brush correctly. Also, a desensitizing toothpaste can help block transmission of sensations from the tooth surface to the nerve.
A Pillow That's Just "Not Right"
Where does it hurt? Your neck
Why? There’s not much research on pillows, but keeping your head and neck in a neutral position (aligned with your spine) while sleeping should help you keep from straining your neck. So, for example, if you sleep on your back and use more than one pillow, you’re probably tilting your neck forward.
How to avoid it? Experiment with different pillows (or quantities of pillows) to find one (or a combo) that keeps your head and spine as aligned as possible. You can also try a cervical pillow, which has a dip in the middle for your head to rest in and a raised side to support your neck.
Texting
Where does it hurt? Neck and shoulders
Why? When we do fine-motor work such as texting, we tend to tighten our muscles and hold our breath or breathe shallowly. The resulting muscle tension can lead to pain—not only in the hands, but also all the way up to the neck and shoulders.
How to avoid it? We recommend taking microbreaks (momentarily shifting position or relaxing tight muscles) when doing fine-motor work such as texting, typing or using a mouse. Place your hands in your lap and relax them, roll your shoulders backwards or simply lift your shoulders and drop them. Then go back to work.
Allergies
Where does it hurt? Your throat or sinuses
Why? Allergies can contribute to a sore throat, sinus pain or headaches, and that includes low-grade allergies that don’t cause sneezing attacks or itchy eyes.
How to avoid it? If you have sinus pain, a headache or sore throat that lasts more than two months, doesn’t respond to antibiotics or other treatment, or recurs every two to three months, or if you’re starting to develop asthma symptoms (cough, chest tightness), ask your doctor to screen you for allergies.
Acid Reflux
Where does it hurt? Your throat
Why? Having acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) exposes your throat to irritating stomach acid. If you experience acid reflux during the night, it may explain a morning sore throat.
How to avoid it? To prevent acid reflux, cut back on fatty foods, coffee, tea, chocolate, peppermint, carbonated drinks and alcohol; eat more frequent, smaller meals; don’t eat two to three hours before bedtime; if you smoke, quit; and, if possible, elevate the head of your bed four to six inches so that you’re slightly upright during sleep.
Sitting for Long Periods
Where does it hurt? Your lower back
Why? The worst thing for your lower back is to be sedentary, says chiropractor Donald Murphy. Sitting puts extra pressure on the disks in your spine. And when you sit for extended periods of time, the muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back (and other areas, such as the thighs) get short and tight. Over time, the muscles can become weak and disk pressure can increase.
How to avoid it? Move it! Walk around for a minute or so, and gently stretch your back by standing with your hands on your lower back and leaning backwards. If you can, lie facedown on the floor, place your hands beside your shoulders and press your upper body up by straightening your arms. This will take pressure off your disks.
Slouching
Where does it hurt? Your lower back, neck and shoulders
Why? When you slouch, your spine curves forward, putting excess pressure on the disks in your lower back—and disk pressure is the number one source of low back pain. Slouching while standing is bad enough, but slumping while sitting is even worse, because sitting already puts extra pressure on disks. In addition, when people slouch they often thrust their head forward and up, compressing disks in the neck, causing tension and pain in the neck and shoulders.
How to avoid it? Sit with your neck and back in a straight line with your spine. Get a lumbar support pillow, which is contoured to nestle in the small of the back, to bolster your lower back and help keep you upright. And get up and move around frequently.
Heavy Handbags or Briefcases
Where does it hurt? Your back
Why? Carrying a heavy bag over one shoulder on a regular basis can create imbalances in the muscles in your back by putting too much stress on one side of the body.
How to avoid it? Unclutter your handbag so that you lug around only what you need, and switch shoulders frequently when carrying your bag for long periods. Or switch to a backpack.
Being Overweight or Obese
Where does it hurt? Everywhere, especially from the waist down
Why? Being overweight or obese puts extra stress on your feet, knees and back. In fact, while you’re walking, your feet take on a force that’s about one and a half times your body weight. So if you carry extra weight, that force is multiplied and can lead to plantar fascitis (pain in the heel), worsen hammertoes and bunions, and increase the risk of osteoarthritis in the knees and hips.
How to avoid it? If you’re overweight and in pain, shedding some pounds may help relieve some of your discomfort. Weight loss has been shown to improve osteoarthritis of the knees as well as relieve back pain. One study found that overweight and obese people with osteoarthritis of the knee who lost less than 6 percent of their body weight with exercise and diet had a 30 percent reduction in pain.
Flip-Flops
Where does it hurt?Your feet
Why? They’re stylin’, but flip-flops offer zero support to the arch and tendons of the foot. It can also cause heel pain, commonly known as plantar fasciitis; even knees and hips can be affected. Plus, flip-flops leave feet unprotected from the elements and they’re easy to trip in. Podiatrists get a lot of business treating fractures, sprains, stubbed toes, and cuts and bruises caused by flip-flops.
How to avoid it? Save your flip-flops for the pool or beach, and reach for a shoe with arch and heel support (like a strap if it’s an open shoe) for everyday walking.
Poor Sleep
Where does it hurt? All over
Why? When you’re tired, you can feel tense and irritable, which can worsen any pain you might be feeling. Fatigue is one of the most common triggers of migraine headaches, and poor sleep is associated with fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by chronic widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons that often has no known cause.
How to avoid it? If you have chronic pain, you may be able to alleviate it by improving your sleep habits. Get enough sleep (about seven to nine hours for most people) every night, and go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day (even weekends!).
Stress or Depression
Where does it hurt? Body-wide
Why? Brain imaging studies show a complex relationship between mood neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine and how the brain processes pain. When you’re depressed, you tend to be more sensitive to pain, and people who are anxious tend to have more muscle tension, which can exacerbate pain. Also, mood disorders often disrupt sleep, which can also make pain worse.
How to avoid it? If you’re suffering from chronic pain, studies show you’ll get relief if you take care of your emotional health, which could mean trying stress-relief techniques such as meditation, seeing a therapist and/or taking medication if your depression is severe.
Being a Couch Potato
Where does it hurt? Head to toe
Why? It’s much easier to strain muscles when you’re out of shape than when your body is toned and flexible.
How to avoid it? Get fit! Exercise strengthens muscles and keeps joints and tendons flexible, which reduces the risk of injury, but it also provides plenty of behind-the-scenes pain prevention. Working out releases feel-good hormones known as endorphins, which can mitigate pain. It also improves sleep and mood, fights inflammation (another source of pain) and takes off pounds—meaning less strain on joints. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day. Opt for an activity that you enjoy so you’ll stick with it. Good choices: walking, swimming, biking, yoga, stretching exercises or general strengthening.
Jogging on Roads or Sidewalks
Where does it hurt? Your joints
Why? Running on hard, unforgiving surfaces like concrete sidewalks or asphalt roads can cause shin pain and creates issues with the joints of the toes, ankles, knees, hips and even the back. With each stride you take, you bring two to three times your body weight through the foot. The stiffer the surface, the more shock goes into your body.
How to avoid it? The best surfaces for jogging are dirt trails or cushiony tracks. The right shoes can help, too: Visit a running store for help choosing the best pair for you, and replace them every 400 to 500 miles. Perhaps most important: Make sure your form is correct. A session or two with a running coach can get you on the right track if you need to make any changes.
Smoking
Where does it hurt? Everywhere
Why? Studies show that smoking can act as an analgesic and reduce almost any kind of pain in the short term. But smokers are at greater risk of developing chronic pain than nonsmokers.
How to avoid it? For this and many more health reasons, take your last puff and through them away.
A Previous Injury
Where does it hurt? Body-wide
Why? Pain is a part of life. We all strain our backs, get kinks in our necks and tweak our knees or ankles at some point. A big problem, especially with back pain, is that once people experience it, they become so afraid to move that they simply don’t—even when activity may be the very thing that will help them feel better. That reaction can lead to chronic pain, which is much harder to treat.
How to avoid it? Of course, be cautious after an injury, but try to return to normal activity as soon as possible.
[Source: ivillage]
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