COMMON CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Back pain is one of those things in life that can be a mild irritation or it can be completely debilitating, depending on the severity. Most people suffer from back pain at one point or another, but it is when it becomes a chronic condition that it really interferes with quality of life.

Luckily, most instances of back pain are due to muscular strain and these injuries tend to heal themselves. The fact that muscles have the blood supply necessary to provide the proper nutrients to the injured area, means that healing will take place most of the time regardless of the treatment protocol.

Aside from the common muscle strain, back pain has a handful of common causes.

HERNIATED DISK Most people have heard of a herniated disk, which

refers to a crack in one of the rubbery disks between your vertebrae. In a typical spinal disk, the inner layer, called the nucleus is soft and the outer layer called the annulus is tougher and more pliable.

These disks help protect your vertebrae from rubbing against one another. When one herniates and the nucleus bulges out, it may press on the nerves surrounding the vertebrae and cause back pain, numbness or weakness.

A herniated disk may be caused by things like a sedentary lifestyle, improper lifting, obesity, trauma to the back and even smoking.

OSTEOPOROSIS Osteoporosis is a condition that’s on the list

of “things to avoid as we age” for most people. Osteoporosis can affect bones in several different sites, including those of the back. Basically, as people age the density of the bones may decrease because the amount of calcium in the bones decreases.

The result is bones that are more brittle than earlier in life, and if the condition is in your spine, routine daily activities can become painful and hazardous.

SPINE DEGENERATION Aging also accounts for certain degenerative

changes in the spine as the disks lose flexibility and flatten out. Without the normal cushioning effect, the facet joints between each vertebrae will press against one another and cause pain. Sometimes, your body may even end up building new bone to try and compensate for the changes in the vertebrae.

Osteoarthritis is another degenerative condition that may result in cartilage between the facet joints breaking down. If this happens, any joint movement produces a greater amount of friction, which also produces a greater amount of pain.

SPINAL STENOSIS Spinal stenosis is a condition where the spine

has narrowed in one of three different areas: The canals where nerves come out from the

spine The space at the very center of the spine The spaces between the vertebrae The narrowing effect of spinal stenosis puts

pressure on the surrounding nerves and spinal cord, causing pain. It is a condition that’s most common in both men and women over 50 years old, but younger people who has suffered an injury or were born with a narrow spinal canal may also have it.

OBESITY The growing obesity problem has created

more back problems than ever before. It stands to reason that excess weight in the midsection is going to pull down on the low back and put pressure on the disks and muscles. Having a disproportionate amount of weight in the front throws everything out of balance and even simple, everyday tasks can become dangerous.

PREVENTION & MANAGEMENT Luckily, many instances of back pain can be remedied through

non-surgical means like physiotherapy. In people who are overweight, sometimes simply losing the excess weight is enough to correct the back issue.

Most back pain patients improve with a protocol of controlled exercises, stretches and physical therapy. Some require the use of nonaddictive, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but surgery is usually reserved for those who don’t show improvement with conventional therapy methods. Some people also do well with various forms of water therapy or through chiropractic manipulations.

To help with the prevention of back pain, keeping your weight at a healthy level will certainly help, as will staying away from smoking. Being physically active also keeps the disks loose and lubricated. This may consist of regular workouts or playing actual sports. If the flexibility and strength of the spine is built up and maintained through regular exercise, the likelihood of back problems will diminish.