Back Pain Causes
There are two major categories of back pain causes. Naturally occurring back pain can occur due to a variety of congenital disorders and skeletal irregularities. To view a list of the main medical conditions that cause back pain click here. The other, more common type of back pain is caused by acquired conditions brought on by injuries resulting from age, strain, trauma or overexertion. Almost everyone experiences lower back pain at one point or another. Men and women are equally affected. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due in part to the aging process but also as a result of sedentary life styles with little physical activity or exercise.
Herniated Disk Causes As people get older, their bone density and strength decreases. Muscle elasticity and tone also tend to decrease. The discs are fluid filled and flexible cushions that pad the bones and nerves in the vertebrae or spinal column. These healthy vertebral discs are under constant pressure as they allow your back to move and stretch. As they begin to lose fluid and flexibility, cartilage can bulge or be pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root, causing pain. These herniated or bulging discs tend to occur in the lower part of your backbone between the bottom of your ribs and your hips, known as the lumbar region of the spinal column.
Herniated disk symptoms
When a disk presses on a nerve, it can cause pain in both the back and the legs. The location of the pain depends on which disk has weakened. The amount of pain is dependent on the extent to which the disk is pressing on the nerve. With a herniated disk, the pain tends to spread over the buttocks and down the back of one thigh and into the calf. Some may experience pain, numbness or a tingly sensation in the legs or feet. The pain from a herniated disk is tends to be exacerbated during physical activities and may feel alleviated when at rest. Coughing, sneezing, sitting, driving and bending forward may make the pain worse. The pain will get worse when you make these movements because they put more pressure on the nerve. You can try to change positions to reduce the pain. You may have found that holding yourself up with your hands while you are sitting helps the pain. Shifting your weight to one side may also help.
Treatment
Exercises can be helpful. Before beginning any exercise program, you should discuss the program with your physician and follow their advice. It is important to exercise regularly, every other day. Begin by stretching. You should warm up with slow, rhythmic exercises; if you haven't exercised in some time, you can warm up by walking. Inhale deeply before each repetition of an exercise and exhale when performing each repetition. Bend over forward and bend to the sides. Start these exercises after your back is a little stronger and doesn't hurt as much. The goal of exercise is to make your back and stomach muscles stronger. This will ease the pressure on your disk and make you hurt less. Ask your physician about exercises for your back.
Pain Treatment
Your physician may suggest medicine for the pain. You can probably be more active after you take the pain medicine for 2 days. Becoming active will help you get better faster. If your pain is severe, your physician may suggest that you rest in bed for 1 or 2 days.
Back Pain as the result of a strain or InjuryPain can occur when, for example, someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back. If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control body movements and transmit signals from the body to the brain. When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, back pain results.
Low back pain may reflect nerve or muscle irritation or bone lesions. Most lower back pain follows injury or trauma to the back. If the pain in your lower back becomes worse when you twist or bend, the pain may be from muscular. If you are experiencing a muscle spasm, a pulled muscle or a compressed nerve, use heat or anti-inflammatory medicine, and rest for up to three days. After improvement, begin abdominal muscle strengthening exercises to prevent future recurrences. If you don't improve, contact your doctor for instructions.
Causes of Pain
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