Low Back Pain
What is
Back
Pain?
Back pain is a symptom that can arise
from many causes. It can range from a
dull, annoying ache to absolute agony.
Many cases of back pain are caused by
stresses on the muscles and ligaments
that support the spine. Sedentary jobs
and lifestyles may create a
vulnerability to this type of stress or
damage. Obesity, which increases both
the weight on the spine and the pressure
on the discs, is another factor.
Strenuous sports such as football and
gymnastics can also damage the back.
Definition of Low
Back Pain
Pain felt in your lower back may come
from the spine, muscles, nerves, or
other structures in that region of your
back. It may also radiate from other
areas like your mid or upper back, a
hernia in the groin, or a problem in the
testicles or ovaries.
You may feel a variety of symptoms if
you hurt your back. You may have a
tingling or burning sensation, a dull
aching, or sharp pain. You also may
experience weakness in your legs or
feet.
It won't necessarily be one event that
actually causes your pain. You may have
been doing many things improperly --
like standing, sitting, or lifting --
for a long time. Then suddenly, one
simple movement, like reaching for
something in the shower or bending from
your waist, leads to the feeling of
pain.
Low Back Pain
Considerations
If you are like most people, you will
have at least one backache in your life.
While such pain or discomfort can happen
anywhere in your back, the most common
area affected is your low back. This is
because the low back supports most of
your body's weight.
Low back pain is the #2 reason that
Americans see their doctor -- second
only to colds and flus. Many
back-related injuries happen at work.
But you can change that. There are many
things you can do to lower your chances
of getting back pain.
Most back problems will get better on
their own. The key is to know when you
need to seek medical help and when
self-care measures alone will allow you
to get better.
Low back pain may be acute (short-term),
lasting less than one month, or chronic
(long-term, continuous, ongoing),
lasting longer than three months. While
getting acute back pain more than once
is common, continuous long-term pain is
not.
You are at
particular risk for low back pain if
you:
- Work in
construction or another job
requiring heavy lifting, lots of
bending and twisting, or whole body
vibration (like truck driving or
using a sandblaster)
- Have bad posture
- Are pregnant
- Are over age 30
- Smoke, don't
exercise, or are overweight
- Have arthritis or
osteoporosis
- Have a low pain
threshold
- Feel stressed or
depressed
Avoid
the following exercises if you are
suffering from severe low back pain:
- Jogging
- Football
- Golf
- Ballet
- Weight lifting
- Leg lifts when
lying on your stomach
- Sit-ups with
straight legs (rather than bent
knees)
Questions
your doctor may ask
you about your low back pain:
- Is your
back pain
on one side only or both sides?
- What does the
back pain feel like? Is it
dull, sharp, throbbing, or burning?
- Is this the first
time you have had back pain?
- When did the
back pain
begin? Did it start suddenly?
- Did you have a
particular injury or accident?
- What were you
doing just before the
back pain
began? Were you lifting or bending?
Sitting at your computer? Driving a
long distance?
- If you have had
back pain before, is this pain
similar or different? In what way is
it different?
- Do you know the
cause of previous episodes of back
pain?
- How long does
each episode of back pain usually
last?
- Do you feel the
pain anywhere other than your back,
like your hip, thigh, leg or feet?
- Do you have any
numbness or tingling? Any weakness
or loss of function in your leg or
elsewhere?
- What makes the
back pain
worse? Lifting, twisting, standing,
or sitting for long periods of time?
- What makes you
feel better?
- Are there any
other symptoms present? Weight loss?
Fever? Change in urination? Change
in bowel habits?
What causes
Low
Back
Pain?
Low back pain
may reflect nerve or muscle irritation or
bone lesions. Most low back pain follows
injury or trauma to the back, but pain may
also be caused by degenerative conditions
such as arthritis or disc disease,
osteoporosis or other bone diseases, viral
infections, irritation to joints and discs,
or congenital abnormalities in the spine.
Obesity, smoking, weight gain during
pregnancy, stress, poor physical condition,
posture inappropriate for the activity being
performed, and poor sleeping position also
may contribute to low back pain.
Additionally, scar tissue created when the
injured back heals itself does not have the
strength or flexibility of normal tissue.
Buildup of scar tissue from repeated
injuries eventually weakens the back and can
lead to more serious injury.
Who is most
likely to develop
low back pain?
Nearly everyone has low back pain sometime.
Men and women are equally affected. It
occurs most often between ages 30 and 50,
due in part to the aging process but also as
a result of sedentary life styles with too
little (sometimes punctuated by too much)
exercise. The risk of experiencing low back
pain from disc disease or spinal
degeneration increases with age.
How is low
back pain diagnosed?
A thorough medical history and physical exam
can usually identify any dangerous
conditions or family history that may be
associated with the back pain. The patient
describes the onset, site, and severity of
the pain; duration of symptoms and any
limitations in movement; and history of
previous episodes or any health conditions
that might be related to the pain. The
physician will examine the back and conduct
neurological tests to determine the cause of
pain and appropriate treatment. Blood tests
may also be ordered. Imaging tests may be
necessary to diagnose tumors or other
possible sources of the pain.
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