Have you ever experienced a shock on your back while sneezing? This may not be a temporary discomfort, but a symptom of some underlying health condition. Although sneezing is a major defense mechanism of the body to prevent the attack of foreign bodies that enter the nose, it may cause fleeting pain in your back. You are not alone in this issue.
Several people encounter similar situations in life. This article will elaborate on the issue of back pain when sneezing. Here, you will analyze the major causes, treatment, and preventive measures of back pain caused by sneezing. So read more to find relief.
Sneezing: Overview
Sneezing is a reflex action of the body and one of the first defenses against bacteria. A sneeze is normally triggered by foreign bodies in the nose such as bacteria, dust particles, pollen, or viruses. These foreign bodies enter the nasal canal irritating the body’s natural state. So, the body reacts to this action and expels them through a sneeze. Sneezing leads to a series of muscle contractions in your body.
While sneezing is a harmless defense mechanism of the body, it may create temporary discomfort like back pain because of the sudden pressure exerted on various muscles. In normal cases, these discomforts will not cause any major harm. However, at times sudden vigorous sneezing may disturb the rhythm of the body causing muscle sprains and twisted nerves. These issues can be cured with proper medical care.
Possible Causes Of Back Pain When Sneezing
Sneezing may trigger a pre-existing medical condition that affects your nerves, muscles, or bones. As this worsens the situation, sneezing can result in back pain. Some of the common causes that serve as a reason for back pain while sneezing are:
- Herniated disc
A herniated disc is a health condition where one or more rubbery cushions or discs in the spinal code are affected. It normally occurs when the nucleus or jelly-like center part of the disc slips out through a tear in the exterior of the disc called the annulus. When a person with a herniated disc sneezes, it exerts more pressure on this ruptured disc causing back pain.
- Muscle strain
A tear or stretch in the muscles caused by activities like lifting twisting, or overuse of muscles during intense exercise is called a muscle strain. A muscle strain on the back may create difficulties while turning, bending, or moving. In such a situation, vigorous sneezing may exert additional pressure on the strained muscle causing pain.
- Sciatica
Sciatica is a nerve disorder that causes pain in the back, butt, or leg. This situation happens because of an injury or irritation in the sciatic nerve, one of the longest and thickest nerves in the body. Apart from pain, sciatica causes a burning, tingling, or sensation. People with sciatica normally experience fleeting pain in the back while sneezing.
- Vertebral compression fracture
The bones of people with osteoporosis are normally less dense and weak. Even a minute activity is capable of triggering damage to bones in such people. As a sneeze exerts more pressure, it may lead to a vertebral compression fracture causing back pain in such people.
Ways To Relieve Back Pain When Sneezing
The back pain while sneezing can be treated using various methods. Some of them include:
- Using ice packs
Placing ice packs wrapped in a cloth on the affected area will help relieve muscle strain. This remedy can be used for 15-20 minutes daily.
- Heat pads
Similar to ice packs heat pads also relieve pain caused by muscle strains and tears. Using heat pads for 20 minutes will improve blood circulation resulting in tightened muscles.
- Stretching exercises
Mild stretching exercises like overhead stretches, side bends, hamstring stretches, and standing calf stretches will help to ease the muscle tension. So, these exercises will reduce pain.
- Over-the-counter medicines
Painkiller medications such as naproxen and ibuprofen can also be used to alleviate back pain caused by sneezing.
How To Prevent Back Pain When Sneezing?
Being an involuntary action, preventing sneezing is not possible. Moreover, trying to prevent sneezing can lead to serious health issues. However, by taking certain preventive steps, the back pain when sneezing can be reduced.
The most important measure is to maintain a good posture while sneezing. You may prevent the issues caused by vigorous sneezing by standing upright and facing forward. Try to maintain this position while supporting your body by placing your hands on a strong surface. This will help reduce the intensity of the pressure exerted on muscles, nerves, and bones while sneezing, resulting in lower chances of back pain.
When To Seek Medical Help?
In most cases, back pain while sneezing does not lead to major health concerns as it resolves with time and care. However, there are instances when this problem leads to serious health concerns which require professional medical care.
People experiencing persistent back pain while sneezing must consult a medical expert. Sometimes, people may also have back pain accompanied by numbness, tingling, or burning sensation on their legs or back. This can be a symptom of major health problems that need proper medical care. So such people should also consult their healthcare professionals.
Conclusion
Sneezing is an involuntary defense mechanism chosen by the body. It eliminates irritants and foreign particles like dust, pollen, viruses, and bacteria that enter the nasal canal and cause irritations. Although sneezing involves multiple muscles, nerves, and bones, it is harmless with also temporary discomfort. However, in some cases, this temporary discomfort like back pain can be intense causing health problems.
The major causes of back pain when sneezing are certain pre-existing health conditions like herniated discs, osteoporosis causing vertebral compression fracture, muscle strain, and sciatica.
Sneezing will exert more pressure on the muscles and nerves of people with any of these conditions. This excess pressure will lead to intense back pain. The common remedies to alleviate this pain include using ice packs and heat pads, mild stretching exercises, and over-the-counter painkillers.
However, at times the pain may persist even after trying these remedies or people may experience pain accompanied by other symptoms like numbness and burning sensation. They denote the possibility of serious health conditions which require diagnosis and expert care. So, in such cases, people should consult a medical expert. However, such cases are rare as sneezing may not cause health problems for most people.
FAQs
Back pain while sneezing denotes a sprain or tear in the muscles surrounding the spine.
The shock in the back while sneezing is mainly due to a trigger in the back pain caused by an injury, sprain, or sometimes the sneeze itself.
A sudden sneeze may alter your body posture. This may lead to a pulled muscle or pinched nerve.
Yes. A sneeze can exert sudden pressure on the sciatic nerve and trigger sciatica.
Sneezing too hard may lead to several injuries in the body including ear damage, muscle sprain, and pinched nerve.
Yes. Vigorous sneezing may be harmful to weak spinal discs. It may result in a slipped disc causing intense pain.
