Why Do You Have Back Pain?

Introduction:

Lower back pain affects countless individuals, often due to muscle strains or lifestyle factors. Understanding its causes and when to seek medical advice is crucial.

Key Takeaways:

• Lower back pain is a prevalent issue, often resulting from strain on muscles and ligaments.
• It can be caused by a variety of factors, including age, posture, weight, lifestyle, and even pregnancy.
• Symptoms vary and may include muscle spasms, tenderness, and pain that worsens with certain activities.
• While many cases resolve on their own, persistent or severe back pain requires medical attention.

What causes lower back pain and how should it be addressed?

Lower back pain typically stems from strains to muscles and ligaments, influenced by factors like posture, weight, and activity level. While it often resolves independent.

Almost everyone experiences a back pain some time or another in their life. Back pain can be present anywhere in your back. But, the most common location and by far the most prevalent complaint is lower back pain. In fact, low back pain is the second most common reason people in the United States visit their doctor. This shouldn’t be surprising. Your lower back supports most of your body weight.

The pain you feel in your lower back can come from many other areas in your body. The culprit could be the muscles and nerves throughout your back or even from your spine itself. Even parts of the body not normally associated with your back can cause lower back pain. For example, a hernia in the groin or difficulties in the testicles or ovaries can produce pain that radiates from their location to the lower back.

Most episodes of back pain can disappear by themselves. You must be willing to admit to yourself when your at home care is not doing the trick and seek medical advice. Back pain can often be a short term thing lasting about a month. Or, it can be continuous and chronic lasting over three months. You probably will experience the short term back pain many times in your life. Many times you cannot even pinpoint where exactly the pain is coming from. This is not uncommon. However, long-term, on going back pain is not a normal occurrence without some sort of other underlying reason. If you are experiencing this, you should consult your Chiropractor.

Each episode of back pain can differ from one time to the next. One time, it can be a sharp pain. The next, it can be just a dull ache or even a burning sensation. You might feel it in one location, or it could seem to be everywhere and your whole lower back is affected.

Many leg issues like numbness and tingling that sometimes extends below the knee are really caused by problems in the lower back. These can occur even when you are not experiencing any pain in your back at the moment. The culprit is usually some problem in the lower spine which is placing pressure on one of the nerves that extends down into your legs. This is commonly known as sciatica.

Very often back injuries happen at work. But, you should know that it is seldom one specific event that brings the pain on. Many people do things in a way that gradually causes pressure to build up in their back over a long period of time. Your back gradually loses strength and the integrity of its components begins to break down. You aren’t even aware this is happening, but eventually these changes have a cumulative effect and something simple like reaching for a box off the shelf or bending down to pick up your baby results in a spasm of pain. In your mind, it is a single event, but truthfully it is the result of years of improper lifting, standing, and even sitting.

SOME OF THE CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Back pain can stem from any of the different structures in your back. Your back has over 30 muscles and 33 vertebrae. There are also many discs, joints, and ligaments that are part of the spinal system. These are all possible sites for pain. Your back is designed to support your weight and hold it erect during daily activities. The structure needs to be strong to do this. Your back also needs to have the flexibility to allow you to twist turn and move in all directions. Back pain is common and usually goes away in a short period of time. However, it is important to remember that pain is your body’s warning that something is wrong.

Muscular strains are the most common cause of back pain. This is an injury caused by stretching the muscle. The fibers in the muscle cannot handle the strain of the particular activity. A twist or pull of one of the muscles in the back can cause a tear in the muscle. An unexpected force such as a fall while reaching for something can also cause this kind of injury. Strains can also be caused by a repetitive activity that continually stretches the muscle causing the fibers inside it to be overstretched.

Another very common cause of back pain is a ligamentous sprain. A sprain is an injury to a ligament. A ligament is a thick, tough, fibrous tissue that connects your bones together. Ligaments keep your bones lined up properly. Another function of the ligaments is to prevent unnatural movements in the joints. A sprain occurs when the ligaments of the back are stretched beyond their limits. The fibers in the tissue are overtaxed.

Back sprain involves a ligament. Back strain involves muscles. The symptoms of both are similar. You will have localized pain in your lower back which does not radiate to another area of your body. The pain will result from an activity. Lifting a heavy object, as well as, twisting while in the process of lifting something are examples of activities that often result in strains and sprains. Sudden movements and falls are others.

The area sprained or strained will be tender to touch. Muscle spasms may occur in the area also. You will often feel less back pain when resting. Some activities will cause you to feel more pain.

Some of the factors that can contribute to Back Pain are inescapable. As you age, your body develops weakness from daily activities and the aging of your spine. If you are over 30, you are likely to begin experiencing this. Between the ages of 30-60, your back pain could be from problems with the discs in your spine. In the over 60 age bracket, back pain cases usually are related to osteoarthritis. Genetics and heredity are also known to play a part in the development of some painful back conditions.

Some jobs can either contribute to back pain or cause it. Repetitive bending and lifting duties can cause you to develop back pain. This is especially true if you develop a habit of doing them in a way that endangers your back. Jobs that require long hours of standing or being on your feet can cause back problems to develop. The reason for the back pain is not enough support to the spine and muscles. Surprisingly, jobs that require long hours sitting can cause the same type of problems for the same reason poor back support from the worker’s chair.

Habitual poor posture whether while sitting, standing, or lifting causes pressure and stress in the spine. Over time this adds up and can cause you to develop back pain.

If you are overweight, you place more stress on the structure of your spine especially your lower back.

The modern sedentary lifestyle that causes so many health conditions can also contribute to back pain. Regular exercise reduces your chance of developing back pain by strengthening the back. Those who seldom exercise experience more severe back pain than those who practice a regular exercise routine.

Pregnant women develop back pain from the weight gained during pregnancy. Most of the weight is in the front of their body, and the spine is exposed to stress trying to compensate for it. Also, as part of the normal preparations your body makes for childbirth, the ligaments in the pelvic area weaken and loosen. This places additional pressure on the spine and lower back which can result in back pain.

Though back pain is very common, the following symptoms require a doctor’s attention. They are not a normal accompaniment to back pain. If you are having difficulty passing urine or having a bowel movement, if you notice a progressive weakness in your legs, or if you have severe ongoing abdominal and lower back pain consult your physical therapy techniques for back pain right away!

For a great back pain treatment experience, make sure to work with reputable professionals who have had years of experience in the back pain treatment industry. Approach companies like orange wellness center to start your journey.