Back Pain
Back pain is a common medical problem that can be caused by different reasons and varies in pain levels, from mild and acute back pain to moderate and severe pain.
Experiencing Back Pain?
Back pain can happen suddenly from a car accident, sports injury, or heavy lifting, or it can develop slowly over time because of age-related degenerative changes caused to the lumbar spine.
The good news is that there are several different treatment options people with back pain can do to improve the symptoms and lower the chance of developing chronic pain or other serious conditions.
What are the common symptoms of back pain?
Back pain can be broken down into different types. Back pain can range from a specific spot to generalized pain all over the back, although sometimes it can radiate to other areas such as the legs or abdomen.
The following symptoms depend on the type, cause, and location of the back pain:
Increasing pain when lifting and bending during daily activities
Sporadic back pain
Stiffness in the morning
Worsening pain when sitting or standing
What are the common causes of back pain?
The human back is composed of different muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks, and bones, which work together to support the body. When there are problems with any of these components, back pain may happen. Damage can result from different reasons, such as strain, medical conditions, poor posture, etc.
Here are the most common causes of back pain:
Strain: Back pain that comes from muscle strain, muscle spasm, tension, damaged or herniated disk, and injuries.
Health problems: These are structural problems such as ruptured disks, bulging disks, sciatic nerve pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, and in other rare cases, diseases like kidney stones can cause back pain.
Movement and posture: Bad posture from hunching over a laptop and sudden movements from everyday activities can result in increased back pain over time.
Inflammation: Inflammation can happen for several reasons, but if it lingers for too long, it can cause chronic soreness in your spinal column.
Other factors, such as cauda equina syndrome, spinal cancer, infection of the spine, and other infections may lead to back pain.
Activities that can lead to back pain:
Lifting something improperly or too heavy
Making an abrupt and awkward movement
Bending for long periods
Standing or sitting for long periods
Straining the neck forward when using a computer or driving
Sleeping on a mattress that does not support the body
How to prevent back pain
Luckily, there are various ways to prevent or avoid back pain by working on your physical condition and practicing proper movements. Here are some ideas to keep your back healthy:
Regular exercise is one of the best ways to prevent back pain, especially low-impact aerobic activities. Walking, swimming, and muscle-strengthening activities increase strength and endurance in your back.
Maintaining a healthy weight, since weight plays an important role in back muscles. Extra weight can strain back muscles and cause back pain.
Standing and sitting in good posture is one of the most important things you can do for a healthy back. Maintaining a neutral pelvic position when standing and choosing a seat with good lower back support when sitting are good practices.
When to get medical treatment?
Back pain can often be diminished with rest, but medical treatment and physical therapy are needed. The pain can be acute and last for up to 6 weeks, or chronic which develops over a more extended period and lasts for over three months. In either case, a visit to a chiropractor or physical therapist can help. For those with a medical history of degenerative disk disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other common causes of back pain that living a healthy lifestyle can't fix, seeing a spine specialist, like a chiropractor, can drastically increase the likelihood of getting positive results for pain relief for patients with these common medical problems.
How to get back pain relief?
Chiropractic and acupuncture may help relieve back pain and can be used alongside other types of therapies or on their own. Health care and patient education are the best way to help avoid severe back pain; being able to identify any of the common causes of different types of back pain and knowing when to seek medical care will help curb the number of people in the United States that aren't able to live life to its fullest because of chronic back pain.
