5 surprising habits that cause back pain
These seemingly harmless habits could leave you in agony.
Jan, 2026
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Slide 1
About 8 in 10 people experience back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, back pain is one of the most common types of chronic pain. But the cause can often be a mystery, especially if you’re not moving heavy objects all day.
With that in mind, here are five common habits that could be straining your back.
Written byPatrick Sullivan.
Medically reviewed byMark Arredondo, MD.
Sources: MedlinePlus. Back Pain. June 29 + 10
- MedlinePlus. Back Pain. June 29, 2025.
- Cleveland Clinic. Neck Pain. December 9, 2025.
- Mayo Clinic Health System. 'Tech neck': Technology's effect on your neck. April 10, 2024.
- Almadhaani HMA, Goonetilleke RS, et al. Transient pain and discomfort when wearing high-heeled shoes. Sci Rep. 2024 Apr 23;14(1):9291.
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Is your backpack too heavy? July 2020.
- Nemours Teen Health. Backpack Basics. June 2023.
- Xu HR, Zhang YH, et al. Association between smoking and incident back pain: A prospective cohort study with 438 510 participants. J Glob Health. 2023 Nov 22;13:04152.
- University of Rochester Medical Center. Smoking Hurts Your Back. Accessed August 5, 2024.
- Spine Health Foundation. Can Smoking and Vaping Cause Back Pain? February 1, 2024.
- Cleveland Clinic. Low Back Pain: Coping. December 23, 2020.
- Geico. Why Your Driving Posture Matters. Accessed August 5, 2024.
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