If you suffer from lower back pain, you may
be wondering what has caused your pain in the first place. The truth is, there
are many different causes of lower back pain. Read on to find out more about
how this type of pain comes about and what to do about it.
The Lower Back and Age
The lower back is a very common area for
pain because it is vulnerable to a lot of stress and strain from the weight of
the upper body. The spine is forced to support all of the body weight from the
upper body. The spine is made up of small bones called vertebrae which are
separated by spongy "discs" of cartilage. These discs act as shock
absorbers that absorb impact and stop the vertebrae from rubbing against each
other. When people age, these discs can wear down and degenerate, putting more
pressure on the spine and causing considerable pain. This is known as disc
degeneration. It can cause the jelly-like centre of the disc to bulge out. This
bulging can cause pressure on the nerves and this creates the sensation of
further pain. It can also cause pain
that runs down the leg, known as rediculopathy. Having a healthy lifestyle, not
smoking and keeping trim can lessen the risk of this degeneration.
Damage to the Back
Musculoskeletal injuries are a common cause
of lower back pain. These injuries can result from every day activities. Doing
something as simple as picking up a heavy box from the floor or lifting weights
incorrectly can cause a sprain or a strain. When the muscles or ligaments are
injured, this can bring severe spasms which are very painful. These sprains and
strains can take anything from a few days to a few months to heal, depending on
their severity. To lessen your chances of having this type of injury, stay
flexible by exercising and stretching regularly and maintain a strong core.
When lifting heavy things and weights, make sure your spine stays in a neutral
position instead of allowing it to round or bend.
Bad posture
Sitting for long periods with your head
hunched over a computer is a leading cause of back problems. This causes the
muscles around your hips to tighten, which causes pain. If the muscles that
surround your spine are weak, this pain can become even worse. One good way to
lessen this pain is to use a lumbar pillow to help support your spine and maintain good
posture. Sitting at a desk isn't the only cause of bad posture though; extra
weight on the abdomen can cause a person to walk with their spine tilted back,
which is often painful. Maintaining a neutral spine alignment is an important
way to avoid these issues, as well as avoiding prolonged sitting.
Obesity
Obesity isn't a direct cause of lower back
pain but it does significantly increase your chances of developing it. People
who lose weight often experience a decrease in the amount of back pain they
feel, because there is less pressure on the spine from the upper body weight.
Some studies also show that those who are a healthy weight respond better to
treatment than those who are obese.
Osteoarthritis
The joints which connect the vertebrae can
develop arthritis and this causes rubbing of the bones and can cause severe
pain. The rubbing joints can also then cause bone spurs to develop which can
press on the nerves as they come out of the spine. Spinal arthritis has a
number of causes including genetics, diabetes and old age.
