As the entire weight of the upper body is supported by the lower back, any unusual bending or twisting can cause a problem. This can lead to one requiring low back pain treatment. It is also the lower back muscles that help the hips to move in the correct way when we are walking. It is the nerves based in the lower back that allow us to feel sensations in the pelvis, feet and legs. Damage to the disc is one of the low back pain causes. Usually, when you suffer from back pain, the cause will be discs, ligaments, muscles or joints. When there is damage to any of these areas, it becomes inflamed and while that may be the body’s way to protect it, it can be very painful. There are other low back pain causes, and whatever they are, you will soon have to look for low back pain treatment.
As the nerves that supply parts of the back tend to overlap, the brain can at times find it difficult to determine the pain. Examples of this would be the pain felt by a torn disc. It would be hard to tell this from the pain felt by a pulled muscle. The only way that you can tell what it is will be the length of time the pain is there as this will identify the low back pain causes. The majority of the time it will be a soft tissue issue that causes pain and can be caused by something as simple as moving in an unusual and abrupt way. It normally tends to be that the main reason you feel back pain is because there is a damaged muscle or ligament.https://www.paintreatmentspecialists.com/locations/
Ligament and Muscle Damage
When muscles and ligaments are damaged, it can happen either right away or as the result of repeating the same motion over a period of time. There are various reasons they happen: –
- If a muscle is worked too much, then it can tear and there can be long lasting damage resulting through a typical example of low back pain causes.
- The ligaments are damaged when they are overstretched. Ligaments are the items that join bones to each other.
Whichever item is damaged, there is not going to be a lot of difference when it comes to the feeling you have and the way that the condition is treated. The type of pain will help identify the low back pain causes and once the cause has been identified, low back pain treatment will begin.
Causes of Strains and Sprains
There are a variety of reasons that these issues can occur, and they include:
- Trying to pick up a heavy object – More often than not it will be due to the way the lift was made rather than the weight. This sort of damage is one of the typical low back pain causes.
- Not sitting or standing correctly. Poor posture will catch up with you if you don’t do something about it.
- Sudden movements are not good for the back. A fall is going to cause all sorts of problems and this is something that you cannot prepare for.
- Sports injuries can also not be avoided or planned for and if there is twisting involved, it will be dangerous, as will any sort of harsh impact. Not all low back pain causes are due to medical conditions.
Chronic Low Back Pain Causes
When you have suffered from back pain for upwards of three months, it is classed as chronic and is unlikely that the body will be able to repair the damage on its own. When the pain is chronic, it is likely that the nerves, joints or discs can be affected. There are a lot of low back pain causes that appear regularly and they include: –
- Lumber herniated disc – The inside of the disc is made of a jelly-like substance and on occasions will be able to burst through the tough layer and cause problems for the nearest root. Mixed with the pain will be inflammation and this will add to the pain. The wall of the disc had a lot of nerves, so this is going to be very painful and low back pain treatment will be required.
- Degenerative disc disease – As the discs are at their most healthy when we are born and are full of water, it makes sense that they get less healthy as we age. Once there is no liquid there, they start to deteriorate. It will be less able to deal with force and any force felt will go to the disc wall. As well as deteriorating, there is also the risk that it can collapse, and this will be a major part of stenosis.
- Facet joint Dysfunction – Each disc has 2 facet joints behind it and there is cartilage between the bones. There is the risk of feeling pain from these joints, but it can be made worse when it is joined by disc pain; but, low back pain treatment should help with this.
- Sacroiliac joint dysfunction – This joint links the pelvis to the spine and normally acts as a shock absorber. When it is inflamed it is painful and there can also be pain if there is not a lot of joint movement, making it one of the more unpleasant low back pain causes.
- Spinal stenosis – When the spinal canal becomes narrower, there is pain felt as this is the location of a lot of nerve roots. It is possible to suffer this condition in various parts of the back.
- Spondylolisthesis – When a disc slips over the one next to it, it will be painful and most of the pain will be felt in the legs when the nerves there are compressed.
- Osteoarthritis – This is when the disc starts to break up as a result of wear and tear. It will make the area unstable, it will be inflamed and can occur in various parts of the back and could lead to the need for low back treatment. This tends to occur as we age, and while may progress slowly, will not improve.
- Deformity – Often this will be from birth and the good news is that is can be dealt with more recently. While it is there you will need low back pain treatment, and it will also lead to the disintegration of discs.
- Trauma – This is when there is an injury that can lead to a dislocation and will normally be as the result of an accident or impact injury.
There are a few other low back pain causes that are less common, but can be just as painful. They include things such as infection and this can be one of the more serious ones if not dealt with. Once the blood system has become compromised there is the risk of the spine becoming infected and requiring additional treatment. Tumors may not begin at the spine but often end up there and are one of the low back pain causes. Normally it will be as a result of cancer of the lungs, breast and thyroid. When there are problems surrounding cancer, it will be best to check the spine to see if it is affected. Other illnesses such as Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia need to be identified before some lower back pain treatment can begin.
Lower Back Pain Symptoms
Not all people will have the same symptoms, so it is important to know what to look out for. Often the pain will manifest as dull and aching. Some have burning or sharp sensations but not that many. Muscle spasms are felt as well, and this can lead to pelvic and hip pain as well as difficulty in getting around. In some cases, the pain will be lower down the legs, although still caused by problems in the back and this is known as sciatica. The sciatic nerve is irritated, and it can be identified by normally being felt down the one side of the body and is one of the low back pain causes that need to be treated.
Onset of Back Pain
Not all back pain will happen the same way and some will come quickly, while others will take time to build up, so it is important to know at what stage low back pain treatment should begin. When it starts slowly it will normally be because there have been a lot of repetitive motions, either as a result of the type of work carried out or the sort of exercise being undertaken. It will be dull and uncomfortable and will often happen at the end of the day. If the pain comes and goes, it is likely that it will be as a result of degenerative disc disease. In these cases, it is going to get worse as the disc becomes more damaged. Low back pain treatment will be needed, and the back doctor should advise what is best.
Serious Conditions and Low Back Pain Causes
Sometimes it is vital that you find out what are the low back pain causes as the condition could be more serious than the normal general aging and damage. When there is something other than pain, then medical help should be sought. These symptoms that require low back pain treatment include: –
- Loss of control of the bowel or bladder
- Fever like symptoms – This tends to be feeling cold and shivering a lot.
- Severe abdominal pain that does not stop.
- Unexplained weight loss – Clearly there is no need to worry if you have been working towards this.
Osteoarthritis
This can be a particularly debilitating condition and is definitely a condition that requires low back pain treatment when it is the cause. There are a variety of reasons why you suffer this condition, including: –
- Age – It is not often that anyone under 40 suffers, although there are obviously some who do, including children.
- Gender – Unfortunately for women they tend to suffer the most and it is considered that this is due to them being more likely to have repetitive jobs
- Weight is going to be an issue and is one of the most obvious low back pain
- Sometime an operation or accident will be the onset
- Inherited abnormalities – Sadly, some people will be born with an abnormality that will lead to osteoarthritis developing as they get older. Often this will be a condition that affects the collagen and while low back pain treatment could be needed, it will also be found in the hips and knees.
- Gout – Osteoarthritis can develop if this has been suffered in the past.
As you can see, whatever the reason for your pain, there will be something that can be done to cure it. It may mean that you look for a great doctor, but the good news is that there are some outstanding pain doctors available here at Pain Treatment Specialists.