Back pain can be severe, causing limitations in daily life activities. Back problems and pain can negatively impact work, self care, sleeping, and involvement in recreational or fun activities.
Scientific American reports that back pain is at epidemic levels. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, low back pain affected 619 million people globally in 2020. Back pain is one of the leading causes of disability across the world and is one primary reasons people seek medical intervention in the US. It is also a leading cause of workplace attendance issues.
In this post, you will learn about the risk factors and causes of back pain, symptoms, and tips for prevention. With this information, you can prevent spinal problems or help yourself heal if back pain occurs. And, if you require more intensive treatment, take a look at the list of treatments provided by Spine Muscles Nerves for back pain.
Risk factors and Causes of Lower Back Pain
Are you wondering what causes lower back pain or if you are at risk of back problems? According to Prevention Magazine, many of our everyday habits set us up for back pain.
Back pain can occur in children, teens, and young adults, and even in those who are healthy. There are, however, many risk factors that can increase your chances of back pain and symptoms. They include:
Diseases. Diseases such as cancer or arthritis increase the likelihood of back problems.
Structural or alignment problems. Conditions that affect spine alignment, such as scoliosis, commonly lead to severe back pain.
Being overweight. As your weight increases, your posture and body mechanics change, usually causing stress on your back.
Lack of exercise or a sedentary lifestyle. Much like being overweight, weakened muscles in the abdomen, back, and core put strain on a person’s back.
Age. As we get older, our chances of experiencing back pain increases. This usually occurs after the age of 40.
Occupations or lifestyles involving strenuous activity. Back pain is often prominent for those who engage in frequent lifting, bending, or carrying heavy items. Improper lifting, such as when people lift from their back instead of the legs, often causes back injury, sprains, or general pain.
Smoking. Research shows that back pain often occurs in smokers. Though it is unclear why, some speculate that this might occur because of smoking-related coughing and/or decreased blood flow to the spine.
Stress and psychological conditions. Muscle tension often contributes to back pain. For this reason, we often see an increased incidence of back pain in those with anxiety or depression.
Conditions Related to Low Back Pain
Lower back pain causes vary and can result from many injuries or diseases. Conditions that cause low back pain include:
Muscle or ligament strain. Sudden, uncoordinated movements, heavy lifting, or excessive exercise can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. Painful spasms frequently occur for people with low back strain because of their poor physical condition.
Arthritis. Osteoarthritis in the spine leads might lead to a condition called spinal stenosis. Stenosis causes the space around the spinal cord to narrow, leading to mild or severe pain.
Osteoporosis. When spinal vertebrae become weak and brittle, they provide less strength and might even break.
Spondylolisthesis: This condition causes slippage in the vertebrae in the spine and pain that can occur in the back or radiate down to the legs as well.
Fractures: Spinal fractures or the breaking of bones in the spine can occur from conditions such as osteoporosis, which weakens the bones in the spine. Fractures may also result from conditions such as spondylolysis that lead to arthropathy. They may also result from mild or severe accident such as a fall, car crash, or a direct hit to the spine.
Bulging or ruptured disks. The cushions between the bones in the spine are called disks. When a disk bulges or rupture, it can compress nerves and cause pain in one location or pain that radiates from the back to the arms or legs.
Diseases. A variety of diseases, including cancer, tumors, infections, kidney stones and many others, can cause back pain.
Symptoms
Back pain can come on gradually or suddenly. There are many types or symptoms of back pain. People often describe back pain as:
Aching or dull
Sharp or stabbing
Shooting or radiating to another body area
Burning
A "popping" sensation
A sensory pain, such as numbness or pins and needles
Other symptoms of lower back pain include:
Postural changes. Some individuals with low back pain stand hunched over, bent, or crooked. With changes in posture, a person’s back may look straight versus curved, and the individual may find it hard to stand erect.
Stiffness: Back pain can lead to loss of range of motion or difficulty with standing. Sometimes, moving and stretching will alleviate this stiffness.
Muscle spasms: When the muscles in the back are strained, they may contract and spasm, causing pain.
Pain is often worsens with positions causing strain, such as bending over, lifting, twisting, or moving. The pain often reduces when someone lies down.
Tips for Prevention
The Team at Spine Muscle Nerves believes that prevention and relief are possible. Here are tips for prevention and information about how to use your body properly. These tips can help anyone with back pain to heal properly and avoid more serious back pain interventions.
Back Pain Preventions
You can reduce or prevent back pain by keeping your body and back healthy. Here are some prevention tips:
Use the body properly. Don’t slouch and maintain good posture. Sit with the proper lumbar supports. Change your position every once in a while. Avoid heavy lifting or carrying and severe twisting that will strain your back.
Exercise. Engage in low-impact aerobic exercises, such as biking, swimming or walking.
Build your core muscles. Incorporate exercises that strengthen your abdominal and back muscles to support your back.
Improve flexibility. Light stretching and activities such as yoga help maintain healthy connective tissue and body structure.
Maintain a healthy weight. Prevent weight gain by avoiding sugary or high-calorie foods and by eating a proper balanced diet.
Use a supportive mattress. Sleeping properly and using the right mattress matters.
Mild Interventions for Back Pain
When back pain becomes a bit more prominent, it can be eased with these interventions:
Rest
Hot and cold compresses
Over-the-counter pain relievers or anti-inflammatories
Activity modifications
More Intensive Interventions
When pain becomes more bothersome or severe, other interventions are more effective. These interventions aim to prevent surgery. They include:
Chiropractic care
Physical or occupational therapy
Other pain management treatments, including treatments offered at our clinic.
Though surgical intervention is rare, some back injuries require surgical repair as a last resort.
When to see a doctor
As mentioned, back pain often reduces or goes away with time with the use of preventative measures or mild interventions. It is important, however, to see a doctor under certain circumstances. They include these scenarios:
When your back pain results from a direct blow or impact to the spine or from a fall.
When your back pain is extreme and does not improve with rest or other mild interventions.
When your back pain persists for over two or three weeks.
If your back pain moves from the upper back into your arms or your lower back into your legs or feet.
When your back pain causes neurological symptoms. This includes symptoms of numbness, weakness, or tingling in your arms or legs or, if you suddenly experience incontinence.
If the back pain occurs along with other symptoms such as a fever, bladder or bowel problems, or severe weakness or fatigue.
How We Can Help Your Back Pain
Here at Spine Muscles Nerves, we treat your back pain using a comprehensive approach. This includes preventive measures, coordinated care with rehabilitation programs, and injections and procedures when more intense pain occurs.
If you have questions about back pain, Reach Out to Us. We will guide you through the steps to take for healing and provide the treatments you need. And, in the meantime, keep checking out our upcoming blog posts with helpful information about all types of pain conditions.