Lower Back Pain: Causes and Relief

There’re two types of people on earth… those with backpain and those without. It’s an all too familiar condition that plagues millions of people every year. Back pain is the leading cause of disability in people younger than 45. It’s shocking. Don’t take your back pain lightly.

Here’s everything you need to know about lower back pain and treatment.

Types of Pain

Lower back pain comes in a wide variety of symptoms. It can range from being mild and a slight nuisance to extremely painful and physically hindering. Lower back pain can commonly be defined by two ways: mechanical or radicular pain.

• Mechanical: The most common of the two types of pain is mechanical pain. It is primarily caused from pain in the muscles, ligaments or bones around the spine. This is due to abnormal stress or strain placed on the spine.
• Radicular: This is the type of pain that radiates from the back and hips to the legs through the spine. This occurs when spinal nerves get pinched or inflamed. It’s usually felt on one side of the body.

Most lower back pain is acute and lasts no longer than a few weeks. If you’re experiencing back pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, it’s defined as chronic back pain.

What Are the Causes?

There are plenty of ways to injure your back and cause this kind of pain. Strenuous or improper physical activity, poor posture and certain medical conditions all cause back pain.

• Physical Activity: Strained muscles or ligaments, muscle tension, damaged disks or fractures can cause back pain. Strains and spasms are commonly linked to improper lifts, abrupt awkward movements and lifting something too heavy.

• Medical Condition: Among other places, arthritis can cause problems within the joints in the hips and lower back. Scoliosis can curve your spine in an abnormal way and cause back pain as a result. Bones can become brittle and sensitive if you have osteoporosis.

• Poor Posture: Posture is so important. A poor posture can easily cause back problems. Much of the population spends a majority of their workday at a desk, whether it’s professionals in the workplace or students at school. According to a study by Vanderbilt University, the average person spends approximately 55% of their waking hours sitting. Be sure to sit with your back straight, your shoulders back, and your feet on the ground.

Treatment

For acute pain, all you may need is rest and a little time. You can always use over-the-counter pain relievers to help with irritating pain. If your pain is persistent, physical therapy and exercise can help reduce pain, strengthen muscles and get you back to normal. If serious enough, back pain may require surgery.

But generally speaking, most back pain will improve over a few weeks’ time. Here’s when you should seek medical professional help:

• Pain is severe or doesn’t improve
• Pain is spreading down one or both legs
• Pain is accompanied by a fever
• Pain causes weakness or numbness

Follow these tips and reduce the stress placed on your back.