Lower Back Pian- What are Its Causes?

Back pain is common and the largest single cause of sickness absence in the UK. Although it can be very painful, it is normally not serious.Lower back pain, also known as lumbago, affects 7 out of 10 people at some time in their lives. Low back pain means a pain, or ache, anywhere on your back, in between the bottom of the ribs and the top of the legs.

Causes of back pain

In rare cases, there may be a more serious underlying cause of back pain, such as an problem with the spine, an infection or collapse of the vertebrae, tuberculosis or cancer.

These are more likely to be the case if your back pain starts gradually, gets worse over time and seems unrelated to your level of activity.

And as is often the case in medicine, the more active a role you play in your treatment plan, the better your recovery is likely to be. This Special Health Report will help you to become an active participant in your care. It provides in-depth information about how your back works, the most common causes of low back pain, diagnostic tests and procedures, and the most effective techniques to treat particular back problems. Armed with the information provided in this report, you’ll be better able to work with your physician to solve the mystery of your ailing back and get on the mend.

Over time, various muscle groups in our body become out of balance. One muscle gets stronger while the opposing muscle gets weaker. This imbalance pulls our bones, joints and spine out of alignment. These muscle imbalances force our body to function in a dysfunctional way and this places excessive, uneven and unnecessary strain and wear and tear on our muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, cartilage and spinal discs.

Muscle Strain:  The major cause of acute low back pain (70%) can be found in the myofascial system (the muscles, ligaments and tendons that bind the spine together and support it).

Osteoarthritis:  Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage in the disks or the moving joints of the spine are damaged. Often the body's reaction is to grow calcium deposits over the joint, which can lead to pinching of the nerve as it exits the spine through the foramen (opening). Just as most people, as they age, have evidence of osteoarthritis of other joints in the body, most people have evidence of osteoarthritis of the spine when a MRI is performed. Usually, these abnormalities seen on the MRI are painless. Why some people with arthritic spine disease develop pain is not known and is presumed to be complex.

One of the most common causes is muscle and ligament strains and sprains. Strains and sprains may result from lifting, exercising, or moving in an unexpected way (such as when falling or when in a car accident). When due to exercise, injury to the lower back is sometimes called weight lifter's back (lumbar strain). Weight lifter's back may be caused not only by snatching a heavy weight from the ground in weight lifting but also by pushing against an opposing lineman in football, suddenly turning to dribble after a rebound in basketball, swinging a bat in baseball, or swinging a club in golf. The lower back is more likely to be injured when a person's physical conditioning is poor and the supporting muscles of the back are weak. Having poor posture, lifting improperly, being overweight, and being tired also contribute.

james sameul
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