Why do I have back pain




Back pain has a significant impact on quality of life, and this damage and its severity also influence the choice of quality of treatment. Read the article to learn more.

Back pain, especially low back pain, is one of the most common medical complaints. About two-thirds of us will experience back pain at some point, and 85% of cases no specific cause is found despite a thorough medical examination.

Back pain has a significant impact on quality of life, and this damage and its severity also influence the choice of quality of treatment.

Injury factors and risk opportunities

Back pain affects both men and women, but there are factors that increase the chances of infection, as it is more evident between:

  • They first appear usually between the ages of 30 - 50 years.
  • Smokers and overweight.
  • Older people and workers in occupations that require prolonged sitting or physical labor.

Causes of back pain

It is important to distinguish between back pain caused by a back problem, and back pain that is associated with another problem that may affect the back - the abdominal, pelvic and chest organs. There are major sources of back pain:

1. Neurologic source:


Back pain that comes from the nervous system, usually caused by a hernia or disc protrusion (a structure located between the vertebrae of the back that acts as a "shock arrester"), tends to be sharp and affect a specific area.

If the pain is accompanied by a feeling of numbness in the leg area, which is affected by the affected nerve, this condition is called sciatica (sciatica).

Disc herniation develops with age, when the discs atrophy and become thin more and more. The central part of the disc, which consists of a kind of gel, protrudes through the thin disc and presses on the nerve root.

At the age of 30, the process of atrophy of the intervertebral discs begins, but only in a few cases does this lead to back pain.

2. Muscular source:


Back pain is due to muscle stiffness, this situation is usually caused by improperly lifting a heavy load, sleeping in an inappropriate position or sudden movement.

Such contraction of muscles can lead to restriction of movement and back pain, centered in the specific muscle group.

3. Deformities in the skeleton:


If the structure of the spine is incorrect, back pain may occur. These situations can occur on two levels:

  • Anterior-Posterior: When the normal curvature of the spine (lordosis and kyphosis) is exaggerated.
  • Side: scoliosis (Scoliosis) - the position in which a curvature of the spine develops to one side.

4. Other specific medical conditions:


Another condition that may cause back pain, which results from damage to the skeletal structure, is osteoporosis. In this case, some pressure may appear in the vertebrae of the spine.

There are also many phenomena that can cause back pain, such as:

  • Appendicitis.
  • Heart attack.
  • Kidney disease.
  • urinary tract infection and others.

  • 5. Possible but uncommon causes

  • Other conditions that are less common causes of back pain are:

    • Horsetail syndrome, this condition is an emergency in which the spinal cord itself is pressurized, causing pain, numbness and problems with bladder control.
    • Cancerous tumor of the spine.
    • Spinal contamination.
    • Arthritis, degenerative joint diseases often affect the pelvic joints, knees, hands and lower back.

Back Pain Treatments

There are several procedures and treatments that help relieve back pain, here are the most important ones:

1. Lifestyle changes


Your doctor may advise you:

  • Sleeping with a pillow between the legs, on the side, may be comfortable and relieve pain
  • Another recommended pose is to sleep on the back with a pillow under the knees.
  • Rest, as most experts recommend reducing regular activities for no more than 48 hours.

Note: Excessive rest prolongs the recovery period, and can lead to complications such as blood clots in the legs. You should return to normal activities, as soon as possible.

2. Treat back pain with medication


Your doctor may prescribe the following medications to control the condition:

  • Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen).
  • Steroids - only in certain cases.

3. Treatment of back pain with surgery


Surgery is recommended only in rare cases, such as ponytail syndrome or sciatica.

You need to take into account that the initial treatment is based on the assumption that about 90% of cases of back pain disappear on their own within a month.

Cases that require consultation with a doctor

Cases that require going to the doctor immediately:

  • Back pain after trauma, such as falls from a height, road accidents and the like.
  • In people over the age of 70.
  • Cancers of the present or past.
  • Recently occurring pollution in one of the organs of the body.
  • Fever.
  • When the pain at rest is more severe than when active.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Incontinence.
  • Lack of improvement despite medical treatment.

Things not recommended for back pain

Medications that cause muscle relaxation are usually not recommended for
back pain, because these drugs have not been shown to be more effective than the group of anti-inflammatory drugs, and there has not even been shown to be an advantage when combining the two groups together.