From cause to treatment, lower back pain can be accompanied by many mysteries. Whatever the cause of your back pain, be assured that healing is possible, and you can eliminate further injury by taking some simple steps toward better back health.
Cause of Lower Back Pain
WebMD cites the following common causes for lower back pain:
1. Injury or overuse of certain muscles, joints, or ligaments.
2. Pressure on spinal canal nerve roots.
This issue can be caused by many possible conditions:
a. Force-related vertebral fractures from spinal compression caused by landing on the head or buttocks after a fall, a direct blow to the spine, or a bicycle or automobile accident.
b. Herniated discs, which are often caused by either repeated motion or sudden increased pressure or heavy strain on the lower back.
c. Spondylolisthesis, a fairly rare condition that can encourage a vertebrae to slide over one another.
d. Osteoarthritis, typically associated with aging. When it affects the small joints of the spine, it often leads to back pain.
e. Spinal stenosis, another age-related condition, that includes the narrowing of the spinal canal.
f. Spinal deformities such as scoliosis or kyphosis, which affect the curvature of the spine.
3. Compression fractures.
These most commonly affect people described as follows:
a. Post-menopausal women who are already plagued by osteoporosis (For this demographic, even activities as simple as sneezing can cause compression fractures.)
b. Anyone who has used corticosteroids over a long period of time.
4. Other causes
Less common, but still possible, spinal conditions that can lead to lower back pain include bacterial infections, spinal tumors, ankylosing and spondylitis.
Responses to Lower Back Pain
While no self-diagnosis can replace a thorough health evaluation by a medical professional, perhaps the list above can help you say, “Oh, yeah, that’s me. I’ll bet that’s what my problem is.” When you get to your appointment, you can ask your physician if he or she agrees with you
Getting to the root of your back pain issues is important, because most rehab programs for back pain are developed on an individual basis, relying heavily on the cause of the problems. A flawed understanding of the reason for back problems could lead to treatment that ends up doing more harm than good. At the same time, just about any fitness program will help your body to align into a spinal neutral position, the range at which you feel no pain. When you listen to your body’s communication (i.e. the type and source of pain), you can learn to make wise choices that will benefit your back health.
When you begin a fitness program or physical therapy, a key differentiation is necessary: There is a difference between actual pain and muscular soreness. Soreness is the stuff of “no pain, no gain,” while painful movements should be avoided. Stabbing sensations radiating down your buttocks or leg would be categorized as pain and should cause you to stop any fitness program or movements causing such sensations.
Learn more about back pain:
- Experiencing lower back pain from sitting in the office all day?
- Is there a genetic link to back pain?
- Lower back problems can be a real pain in the butt
Photo credits: Top © maximino gomes / Fotolia. Second © Alexander Raths / Fotolia. Third © ericsphotolab / Fotolia. Bottom © WavebreakmediaMicro / Fotolia.
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