Understanding Back Pain and the Reasons Why They Happen
Back pain affects a majority of people in the population, whether they are old or young, none is exempt. This can happen in many parts of the vertebral column; at the middle back, upper back or lower back areas. The pain can be sudden or gradual; it can be permanent or can move form one portion of the vertebrae to another. Sometimes, it could even affect proximal areas such as the neck and the arms.
There are several reasons why people experience back pain. One of are the muscles surrounding the back are itself. Muscles strains are due to bad posture; this could also be caused by overuse of the muscles and too much activity. Muscle strains are most common in the lower back area. Low back pain or lumbago is triggered most frequently when people pick up heavy object without using the correct posture of doing so.
Other reason for back pain is a ruptured disc. This sometimes happen with accidents or due to weak bone structure.
The third reason why back pains occur is spinal stenosis. This is the common back pain experienced by the ageing population. As the fluid between each joint dry up during ageing, the spinal canal becomes too tight. This pressure can then lead to the occurrence of chronic pain in older men and women.
The fourth reason for back pain is osteoporosis. Most women are the targets of this disease, but men are not exempt also. Osteoporosis happens when the normal structure of the vertebral column is compressed to a shorter height due to the thinning and the degeneration of the bone. As the bones grow weaker and weaker, the possibility of fractures increases making them very vulnerable under this condition.
The fifth cause of back pain is spondylolisthesis. This happens when the stabilizing structure of the spine starts to degenerate causing one of its discs to slip down. And because of this instability, pain occurs in the back area.
When people have back pains, it is very difficult to pinpoint the specific underlying reason unless you are subjected to medical tests and examinations. Sometimes, back pains could even be caused by a simply sleeping on a wrong position of by just carrying too much heavy load, so we can never tell for ourselves.
People treat back pain in many ways. Some may find relief in cold compress, hot compress or even pain relievers. But these treatments may just be superficial and are just targeting only pain relief and not the real reason for the pain. So to patients, always be aware of your condition. If the back pains are becoming more and more frequent, persists for several days, gives you difficulty in movement, gives you fever or chills and any other suspicious symptoms, then it is time to seek help from a doctor.
Back pains may be the most natural thing but you should never ignore this condition as it could possible lead to serious and more complicated problems if the pain and the condition is allowed to be prolonged and remains untreated.
Serious Back Pains – Ways to Relieve It
Generally, when we have back pains, what we usually do is run to the pharmacy to buy a couple of those pain relievers and take them as fast as we can. Some people opt for the more “natural” way and turn to hot or cold compress or even a massage for relief. But sometimes, when the pain gets more persistent and occurs for more than a couple of days, then maybe it is time to go to your doctor to seek medical advice and get the proper treatment.
Understanding the underlying reason for you back pain is very important. This information could lead to proper treatment and intervention for your condition. There are several reasons why back pains occur and each has a different kind of treatment. So read on and educate yourself on the possible treatments that you can undergo, depending on the type of condition that you are in.
1. Physical therapy
A physical therapy can come in various forms; from muscle stimulation, hot and cold compress and massage to target soft tissues and relieve lower back pain. Back pain exercises would usually consist of stretching exercises, movements to strengthen your back muscles and some aerobic conditioning. Physical therapy is more of a long term cure and prevention as well. As the pain disappears, patients are usually advised to continue the exercise at least once a day to keep back pains from coming back. Physical exercise is much recommended for chronic back pain treatment.
2. Epidural Steroid Injections
This kind of treatment delivers steroids to the epidural part of the vertebral column to help remove or “flush out” substances that may trigger the pain in the area. A steroid is an anti-inflammatory substance. Inflammation of the epidural spaces in one of the major components for back pains and eliminating this inflammation also eliminates the pain. Some injections also contain pain relievers that will be directly delivered to the area for immediate relief.
3. Surgery
A very few people need surgery for back pains. Even a herniated disc can be treated without having to go under the knife and is regarded as the last resort for treating back pains. Surgery is only necessary for pain caused by a compression of a nerve, a progressive muscle weakness or when the pain is already radiating to your legs hitting your sciatic nerve. A patient can go into different types of surgeries for back pain. It may require the insertion of a metal plate to your vertebral column, an artificial disk or a removal of a vertebral disk fro your spine. Trauma to your spine which causes a ruptured disc may also require surgery.
Although back pains are one of the most normal physical complaints, the pain itself may just be a sign of a more serious health condition. So if you experience pain for several days now or you experience limitations to your movement because of the pain, it is very important that you stop relying on medication and seek immediate medial help. The more you delay proper treatment, the worse your condition may become.
