The causes Of chronic back Pain

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A very common problem in adults that has also recently been affecting younger people as well.

Back pain is the woe of many and it is also one of the main reasons why people miss out on work and it also ranks as being one of the leading causes of disability in the world. It is not pleasant, let’s just say that. It can severely affect the quality of life for many people and it can seriously hamper their ability to work or carry out even the most basic tasks in life.

There is some good news, in that back pain is a manageable condition. There are steps you can take to ease your pain in the back. If your case is beyond the prevention stage, there are available at your disposal some home treatments that you can undergo to help you manage the pain better. Proper body mechanics can also effectively heal your back within a couple of weeks and keep you functional. Surgery is not very commonly needed and is the reserved last option for the cases that are beyond repair by other methods.

Symptoms

There are a few kinds of back pain. They all don’t feel the same. It can be an aching muscle or might also be a burning, stabbing or shooting sensation. It can be of a much worse nature. This is when the pain goes down to your legs and/or is significantly much more felt when you are maneuvering your body in unusual ways such as twisting, lifting, bending. The pain is sometimes such that even just standing or walking might become difficult. That’s why you should try your best to treat chronic back pain.

Most common types of back pain usually recedes with treatment at home as well as self-care. This is usually achieved within a few weeks at max. The time to seek help from a doctor might have arrived if the following are applicable to you.

Pain that lasts for a few weeks
Is very painful and is not showing signs of improvement with rest
The pain has gone down to one or both legs, and in particular if pain is felt below the knee
Tingling sensation in one or both legs
Unexpected weight loss

In very uncommon cases, the persistence of back pain may be a signal that there is a serious medical condition underlying in the patient. If the following apply to you, immediately get help from a doctor:

Brand new problems with the bowel or bladder
You get a fever.
If the pain has started after a fall or some other sort of injury.

Causes of Back Pain

There are a number of conditions which cause back pain, they are listed below. Most of the time back pain develops without any obvious cause and this situation is further complicated by the fact that even tests are imaging studies are always adept at detecting the reason:

Stress on the ligament or muscles: Working out that includes a lot of lifting heavy weights and/or an unusual sudden movement can put undue stress on the muscles of the back and the spinal ligaments. People who are physically not in a good condition can get spasms of the muscles in the back if a constant strain is put on it.

Popping or damaged disks: Disks are the protective layer between the different kinds of bones in our spine. This layer acts almost as a cushion. This soft substance has the propensity to pop or get damaged which will then put pressure on a nerve.

Arthritis: There are a few types of arthritis that can cause back pain. Osteoarthritis is the type that affects the lower back. In some other instances, arthritis can cause the space surrounding the spinal cord to become narrower, if this happens the condition is labelled as spinal stenosis.

Osteoporosis: If the bones of the body become weak, brittle and porous, the spine in the vertebrae can form very painful fractures.

Factors to put someone at risk

Just about anyone can develop problems in their backs. The factors listed here are particularly significant in your chances of developing back problems.

Your age: Pain in the back usually starts getting worse once you hit the age of 30.

Little or No Physical Exercise: Muscles that have not been stressed are bound to be a bit weak. These weak and unused muscles may be the cause of back pain.

Obesity: This one is pretty self explanatory. If you have excess weight, your body and your back is under that much more stress.

Illness: Some illnesses such as cancer and arthritis lead to pain in the back.

Lifting with bad form: When lifting, if you use your back without using your leg muscles, you will be at risk of developing back pain.

Mental health: Some mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety statistically seems to correlate with problems in the back

Smoking: Smoking can also be a major cause of people developing back pain. Smokers usually cough more, this leads to more pressure on the spine which in turn may lead to disks getting herniated. Smokers usually have problems with blood flow and this can very well lead to osteoporosis.

The good news is that there are methods you can deploy right now to have less chances of developing or getting rid of back pain. To make sure that the back stays in its proper form, a good posture can do wonders in this regard. You may also want to get in a bit of daily exercise to make sure that the muscles in your body are better equipped to deal with stresses and different stressors of life. Other hobbies that are beneficial include swimming. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. It uses up all the muscles in your body while providing for a thorough and intensive cardiovascular exercise. Swimming can also help you keep your back muscles stronger and with lower chances of developing back pain.