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Risk factors
Not only does the back support the body's weight during standing, walking, and lifting, it must also turn, twist, and bend. Professions such as construction work and nursing, which involve all of these movements, put people at increased risk for back injury.
Although it may seem that back pain occurs suddenly (such as while bending down to pick something up), it is precipitated by a number of factors, including normal aging, weak back and abdominal muscles, obesity, and poor posture. The frequency of sprains and strains tends to decline after age 60, in part because older adults are less likely to participate in the kind of vigorous activities that lead to these problems. Also, the disks between the vertebrae become less pliable in older adults and, as a result, are less likely to herniate. Such rigidity, however, leads to problems of its own, mostly owing to degeneration of the various spinal bones.
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