Why do people suffer from backache?

I think back aches mainly come from bad posture. Or if your in an awkward position for a long period of time. Like, maybe you have to be in the backseat of a car for a long period of time. It's really just random situations and problems that can cause you back aching.

One doesn't have to be overweight to have back problems. I only weigh 100 pounds and have had back pain for years. One thing my Dr used to tell me was to keep the abdominal muscles in shape (your belly.) When the abdominals and the 'pelvic girdle' muscles are tight, they help keep the back supported better. And he was right, it took away most of the back pains. He had me do stretching exercises, to keep the muscles from cramping up and to give them strength. I think a lot of people are prone to back aches because we're not as active a society as we used to be. We sit for hours on the computer, or at desks, and we do not get our daily exercise like our ancestors used to. We also practice poor posture, and tend to not pick up things the way we should. When we pick up something from the floor, etc, we should bend at the knees and let our thigh muscles take the brunt of the weight...not doing so puts the strain on the back. Since our thigh muscles are much stronger than the muscles of the back, it's much more easier on the back muscles. Once at a staff meeting (on body mechanics) they said that improperly picking things up is a leading cause of back pain, and that picking up a pencil off the floor (if done improperly by bending instead of stooping) can actually put your back out. Lol, I can attest that advice is 100 per cent true, I put my back out once for 3 months from bending cockeyed to pick up a paint brush that landed on the floor. When having acute back pain, there are some things you can do to help it some. When you lie in bed at night, put a pillow between your knees (if you lie on your side) and it will put the body into proper alignment without having the weight of your legs twist at the hip. If you're lying on your back, keep your knees bent with a pillow under the knees. Also, don't sleep with more than one pillow at your head, that throws the back and body into an un-natural alignment. When sitting, don't sit with your legs crossed at the knee, doing that pulls one side of your hips more than the other which will give you a worse backache. When I sit at my desk/computer, I keep a small footstool underneath to keep my feet on, it helps keep the alignment better (this was suggested by my Dr.) I feel for you dropofrain, backache is no fun, especially if it happens all the time. It takes time to make new habits to lessen the pain, but I find it worthwhile as I haven't had back pain in quite a long time now. Good luck!