Common Causes of Back Pain

Just about everyone can agree; when your back hurts, your world seems to come to a screeching halt. It affects everything that you do from that point on.  You can put a broken arm in a sling.  You can't put your back in a sling and continue with your day.

Back Strain:
Let’s begin with the simplest form of back pain. That would be back strain. This occurs when you strain the muscles that support the spine in the back.

What does it feel like? Think of a “charley horse” in your leg. The muscle knots up because it was stretched the wrong way or over extended. The pain is immediate and continues until you can work out the kinks.With back strain, you have essentially done the same thing. That muscle is out of sorts and needs to relax and heal.

Causes of Back Strain:
• Sudden jerky movements
• Improper lifting posture
• Poor sitting posture (slouching or hunching over)
• Shoes that are wearing unevenly
• Dehydration (your back needs water too)
• Injury
• Obesity
• Stress

When the muscles of the back are constantly strained, strengthening them may be the key to helping with back strain and inevitable pain.

Herniated Disc:
However, back pain can also be the result of a structural problem. This occurs when an injury to the back involves the vertebrae, nerves, and discs.  This injury may be a trauma to the back, known as “an acute” injury, or an injury over time, known as “a chronic” injury.  One of the most common injuries involves the discs.

The discs are located between the vertebrae of the back. They serve to cushion the nerves and the bones. When a disc is herniated, the inner spongy matter squeezes out through the outer layer. This puts pressure on the root of the nerve that arises from that spot on the spinal cord. Usually, herniated discs are found in the lumbar region of the spinal column which corresponds to the lower back.

Herniated discs can be the result of an acute injury, a chronic injury such as a repeated motion that wears down the disc over time, or as a result of what is known as degenerative disc disease.

The worn disc spills its spongy material out and the disc “herniates.”  The material can begin to rub against nerves causing further pain.

Typically with this type of injury, what you will notice is pain in the hips and down the legs, commonly known as sciatica. Those nerves are pinched and can cause a loss of feeling in the legs from time to time. Your leg could have the sensation of “giving out” which is disconcerting as you are actually unable to move your leg for a time.Anytime you experience unexplained pain in your back or down your legs, especially repeatedly or over a period of time, you should consult a health professional. 

Other Causes of Back Pain:
Improper footwear. While you may have to pay a little bit more, quality shoes don’t have to be terribly expensive and are generally well worth the investment.  Plus they also tend to last longer.  If simply buying supportive shoes doesn’t help, try insoles or seeing a doctor about orthotics.  Just remember that often these solutions can make the problem worse before it gets better and it may take several months for full relief.

Posture.  Many times minor back pain is caused by your body being improperly situated from poor posture.  This can be caused if you slouch when you sit or stand, and even by sleeping in an improper position.  Try to sit and stand up straight, and sleep in the fetal position with a pillow between your legs to keep your back properly aligned.  

Improper furniture. While trying to sit and sleep in the right position can help your posture, your chair, desk or bed may be preventing your spine from aligning.  If you sit at a desk, make sure your chair is adjusted properly for your height.  Your office may even have an ergonomics specialist to help you if you ask.  In addition, make sure you have a bed that properly supports your weight, and replace old or outdated furniture.

If your pain is severe, it may be cause by something more serious.  Common causes of severe back pain include a herniated disc, osteoporosis, arthritis, spinal stenosis, and sacroiliitis.  While these problems are generally not dangerous, it is a good idea to see a doctor to keep the pain from interfering with your daily life.  He can recommend exercises, medication, or surgery to help correct the problem and ease pain.  Your doctor can also rule out more serious conditions that could be causing pain.

While back pain can be annoying or unbearable, it is treatable.  The only way to know if your back pain is more than the occasional pain from overuse is to have the proper tests.  Taking a few pain killers to alleviate minor back pain that occurs once in a while may be alright;  say, when you rake the yard.  But, serious back pain requires serious attention from a doctor.  Take care of your back and it will take care of you!