Many people suffer with lower back pain, and almost everyone at some point has back pain that interferes with work, daily activities and recreation. Back pain is the most common cause of job-related disability. Back pain leads as a health condition to miss work. It is the second most common neurological impairment in the United States. Headaches are more common. It is fortunate that most low back pain ailments go away within a few days. There are others that last much longer and lead to more serious conditions.
Acute Back Pain (Short-Term Low Back Pain)
Most acute back pain (short-term low back pain) is the result of:
• Trauma to the lower back
• Or a disorder such as arthritis
Sports injury, working around the house or in the garden or a sudden jolt from a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues may cause back pain from trauma.
Symptoms of pain from trauma may include:
• Muscle ache
• Shooting or stabbing pain
• Limited flexibility and/or range of motion
• Inability to stand straight
On occasion you may experience back pain that radiates from a disorder or injury elsewhere in the body, and some acute back pain ailments become more serious if left untreated.
Chronic Back Pain
Pain that persists for more than 3 months is considered chronic. This type of back pain often progresses and the cause can be difficult to determine.
Structures that make up the back include:
• Bones
• Muscles
• Other tissues that form the posterior part of the body’s trunk from the neck to the pelvis
• Centerpiece is the spinal column that supports the upper body’s weight and houses and protects the spinal cord
• The spinal cord is a delicate nervous system structure that carries signals to control the body’s movements and announce its sensations.
• More than 30 bones are stacked on top of each other – the vertebrae – that form the spinal column. This structure is also known as the spine.
• The spinal cord descends from the base of the brain to just below the rib cage in an adult.
• Small nerves or roots enter and emerge from the spinal cord through spaces between the vertebrae.
As you can see from the above description of the structures of the back, it is a complex and intricate piece of natural machinery inside our bodies that controls many aspects of our existence.
The lumbar region of the back is where most back pain is felt. This region supports the weight of the upper body.
What are the causes of lower back pain?
• People age and lose bone strength
• Muscle elasticity and tone decreases
• The discs begin to lose fluid and flexibility
All the above processes decrease the ability of the discs to cushion the vertebrae.
Back Pain can occur:
• When someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back.
A disc may rupture or bulge outward if the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, and put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control movements and sends signals from the body to the brain.
Back pain results when the nerve roots become compressed or irritated.
Lower back pain may be the cause of:
• Nerve or muscle irritation
• Bone lesions
• Arthritis
• Disc disease
• Osteoporosis
• Other bone diseases
• Viral infections
• Irritation to joints and discs
• Congenital abnormalities in the spine
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Weight gain during pregnancy
• Stress
• Poor physical condition
• Inappropriate posture for activity being performed
• Poor sleeping position
• Scar tissue created when an injured back heals itself does not have strength or flexibility of normal tissue
• People with diabetes
However, most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back. On occasion, low back pain may indicate a more serious medical problem.
Symptoms of a pinched nerve or other serious conditions may include pain with:
• Fever
• Or loss of bowel or bladder control
• Pain when coughing
• Progressive weakness in the legs
If you experience any of the above symptoms with your back pain, you should contact a health care provider immediately for evaluation to help prevent permanent damage.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. All health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care professional.
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© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved
By Connie Limon
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