What is Back pain?; Causes, symptoms, and treatments

What is Back pain?; Causes, symptoms, and treatments

• Back pain is a very common complaint. According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 80% of people will have low back pain at least once in their lives.
• Experts say that back pain is associated with the way our bones, muscles and ligaments in our backs work and connect together.
• Pain in the lower back may be related to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, lower back muscles, abdomen and pelvic internal organs, and the skin around the lumbar area. Also pain in the upper back may be due to disorders of the aorta, tumors in the chest, and spine inflammation.
• Problems with the spine such as osteoporosis or osteomalasia can lead to back pain.

• Strain - the most common causes of back pain are: Strained muscles/ ligaments

• A muscle spasm; Things that can lead to strains or spasms include: Lifting something improperly or Lifting something that is too heavy

• Structural problems - the following structural problems may also result in back pain: Ruptured disks,.
• Sciatica - a sharp and shooting pain that travels through the buttock and down the back of the leg, caused by a herniated disk pressing on a nerve.
• Arthritis - patients with osteoarthritis commonly experience problems with the joints in the hips, lower back, knees and foots. In some cases spinal stenosis can develop, which is the term used to describe when the space around the spinal cord narrows.
• Abnormal curvature of the spine - if the spine curves in an unusual way the patient is more likely to experience back pain. An example is scoliosis or kifozis, a condition in which the spine curves to the side.
• Osteoporosis - bones, including the vertebrae of the spine, become brittle and porous, making compression fractures more likely.

• Cancer of the spine - a tumor located on the spine may press against a nerve, resulting in back or leg pain.
• Infection of the spine - if the patient has an elevated body temperature (fever) as well as a tender warm area on the back, it could be caused by an infection of the spine.
• Back pain can also be the result of some everyday activity or poor posture.

• The following factors are linked to a higher risk of developing low back pain: A mentally stressful job, Pregnancy - pregnant women are much more likely to get back pain, A sedentary lifestyle, Anxiety, Depression, Obesity and overweight, Smoking
• Signs and symptoms: The main symptom of back pain is, as the name suggests, an ache or pain anywhere on the back, and sometimes all the way down to the buttocks and legs.
• Diagnosis: Suspected disk, nerve, tendon, and other problems - X-rays or some other imaging scan, such as a CT (computerized tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan may be used to get a better view of the state of the soft tissues in the patient's back.

• Bone scan - a bone scan may be used for detecting bone tumors or compression fractures caused by brittle bones (osteoporosis).
• Electromyography or EMG - the electrical impulses produced by nerves in response to muscles is measured.
• Treatments: Medication - back pain that does not respond well to OTC painkillers may require a prescription NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug).
• Some tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, have been shown to alleviate the symptoms of back pain, regardless of whether or not the patient has depression.
• Physical therapy - the application of heat, ice, ultrasound and electrical stimulation, as well as some muscle-release techniques to the back muscles and soft tissues may help alleviate pain.
• As the pain subsides the physical therapist may introduce some flexibility and strength exercises for the back and abdominal muscles.
• Complementary therapies;, chiropractic, osteopathy, shiatsu, yoga, plates, neuraltherapy, prolotherapy, massage and acupuncture may help relieve back pain, as well as encouraging the patient to feel relaxed.