Causes of Lower Back Pain - and How to Treat It
Written by MichaelZ on February 17, 2009 – 5:35 am -Nearly 80% of people have back pain, including lower back pain, at some point or another during their life. Because it’s an ailment that almost everyone experiences, you really need to understand what causes lower back pain. You also need to know how to control these factors to keep severe lower back pain to a minimum.
Causes of Lower Back Pain
As we age, we lose a lot of our body’s natural muscle tone and elasticity. As well, bone strength generally decreases as we get older. Loss of fluid results in the discs in your spine becoming less flexible. This results in less protection for the vertebrae. Simply growing older can be a cause of lower back pain.
If the ligaments or muscles in your back experience a sprain, spasm, or strain, the spinal discs can burst or bulge. This leads to increased pressure on your spinal cord nerves. Your back will let you know about this through neural signs, more commonly known as pain. What are the causes of these strains, sprains and spasms? Frequently, this type of injury is caused by attempting to lift heavy objects or overstretching the muscles.
Ailments such as arthritis or osteoporosis can also lead to lower back pain. Other causes include disc or joint irritation, viral infections, or spinal abnormalities.
Lower back pain can also be caused by various physical conditions. Being out of shape or overweight, having poor posture, experiencing stress and even being pregnant are all examples of this. Hip pain and lower back pain sometimes come as a distressing package deal. Another cause of lower back pain can be scar tissue from old injuries - this can also lead to further, more critical injuries.
When to Worry About Lower Back Pain
You should take your lower back pain seriously if it comes along with other symptoms. These might include a fever, a painful cough, loss of bladder or bowel control and muscular weakness, especially in the legs. If you experience any of these symptoms along with your lower back pain, see your doctor right away. They may indicate a pinched nerve or other underlying problem. If you suffer from diabetes, your back pain might be related to neuropathy.
Avoiding Lower Back Pain
By paying attention to proper back pain management techniques, most lower back pain can be avoided. Poor posture is often the root cause of lower back pain that never quite goes away. There are ways to change this. Stand straight, remember to lift with your legs rather than with your back, and do exercises to build lower back strength. Make sure to follow proper ergonomic procedures during your workday. This will greatly impact your ability to prevent lower back pain.
Posted in Weight Loss Info |