At some point of time in our lives we are introduced to the unpleasant experience of back pains. Back pains are a commonplace ailment and only a lucky manage to avoid it altogether. Though common, back pain is by no means a minor health issue. Any instance of prolonged back pain needs to checked up for underlying health issues.
Keeping this in mind, it’s only fair that we dig deeper in to the causes and reasons behind back pain. Bearing in mind that back pain is a fairly expansive health issue, it’s best we just tackle lower back pain for the time being. According to worldwide statistics, lower back pain is prevalent in adults between the age group of thirty to sixty. Lower back pain is caused by a number of reasons. Read further to know more.
Causes Of Lower Back Pain:
This article provide the list of 10 lower back pain reasons and causes.
1. Degenerative Discs:
According to most orthopedic doctors, lower back pain is largely caused by herniated or degenerative discs. To better understand this, it’s necessary to understand the physiology of the lower back. The spine is the main component that supports the total mass and weight of the upper body. The spine comprises of 30 bones known as vertebrae neatly placed, each on top of the other. In between every vertebra, a spongy cartilage called discs does the function of protecting the vertebrae from clashing with each other. With the passing of years, the weight of our upper body often causes damage to the discs at the lower end of the spine. This condition is medically referred to as degenerative discs. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
2. Herniated Discs:
Degenerative or weakened discs often lead to herniated discs. The discs in between each vertebra have a soft mushy center. A weakened disc puts undue pressure on this soft center which causes the center of the disc to protrude out. This is medically known as herniated or ruptured discs which are another cause for lower back pain. The bulging out center more often than not presses against sensitive nerves that result in extreme pain. This pain is often known to extend to the legs. This condition is generally diagnosed as sciatica. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
See More: Lower Back Pain Treatment
3. Osteoporosis:
While it is fairly common among men, osteoporosis is often referred to as a woman’s ailment. Osteoporosis is a common by product of decreased bone strength and aging. This decreased bone strength is known to cause the breaking and fracture of bones and targets key areas like the arms, the hips and the back. Among women the risk of osteoporosis is heightened due to depleted levels of estrogen. Osteoporosis often causes back pain due to compressed fractures of the back bones. With osteoporosis this pain may not be felt at first but will ultimately lead to it. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
See More: Lower Back Pains During Pregnancy
4. Scoliosis:
While back pain is known to primarily affect adults, scoliosis is a condition that is known to afflict children and teenagers. Once again girls are more affected by this condition than boys. Scoliosis is commonly characterized by the abnormal curvature of the spinal cord. Physiologically, the spinal cord is supposed to be straight however individuals suffering from scoliosis have abnormally curved spinal cords with an upward curvature in the upper back and an inward curvature in the lower back. Scoliosis may either be the result of a birth defect or caused by injury and illness. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
5. Diabetes:
Coming back to older individuals again, diabetes is another common factor in adults that may cause lower back pain. This is because, high amounts of insulin quite often leads to inflammation of the joints and tissues, thus bringing in all the pain alongside as a disadvantage apart from diabetes. You should also note that diabetes also affects the metabolism, thus making you gain weight and that happens to be one of the most common reasons for back ache. To not let diabetes get the better of you, keep your sugar intake in check at all times and if under medication, never miss your dose. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
6. Pinched Nerves:
Pinched or compressed nerves are also known to cause lower back pain. Identifying lower back pain due to pinched nerves is fairly easier as it is often accompanied by fevers and the inability to control one’s bladders. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
See More: Tips To Avoid Back Pain
7. Arthritis:
Lower back pain reasons cannot leave arthritis un-featured. It is one of the most firing causes of spinal aches and back pain. In normal cases, exercise keeps the back ache in check, but sometimes it gets out of hand and need surgery to keep the arthritis from leading to dangerous conditions. Arthritis is of many types and is usually caused by stiffness in the muscles owing to old age or extra weight that you put on. Sometimes, the arthritis can cause the little space around your spinal cord to narrow down further, leading to a condition called Spinal Stenosis. It is a chronic disease meaning there is no way to get rid of your back ache permanently, but use measures to keep the tissue inflammations in check. Eating healthy and keeping your posture correct usually works for this symptom. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
8. Muscle Sprain:
Muscle and ligament strains are often a severe cause of lower back pain. Plus, when you are lifting weight regularly or sitting around in awkward positions, sudden movement can lead to a strain on the tissues, thus sending a sharp pain down your spine. Back strains are quite common and not unheard of. This can usually manifest itself if there is a muscle tension building up. In such cases, massages and acupuncture work best, but exercising can also help say goodbye to those stubborn sudden aches that lead to the painful muscle spasms. Apply ice packs if there is severe inflammation until you get it checked by the doctor for underlying issues. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
9. Skeletal Irregularity:
Back pain in these cases occurs because of abnormality in your spine. Often if your back alignment of the spine isn’t done correctly and it keeps curving to a side, thus causing pain if any growth occurs in that area. Sometimes, the pain is not only severe, but also serious. If you want to keep your spine in check, get lumbar punctures done occasionally to not only know the health of your nervous system, but also the health of the chord. If there is an abnormal growth, it often leads to scoliosis, a condition which has been discussed previously and can have troublesome ache that keeps coming and going. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
10. Cauda Equina Syndrome:
Reasons for lower back pain in females are many, but this rare disorder is more common in the gender. It is a nerve root problem and cannot be detected until the condition is severe. In the cauda equina syndrome, the nerve endings that are located at the bottom of the spinal cord are pressurized. The reason behind this can be an issue with the alignment, but the symptom is usually lower back pain in adults. Additional issues like bowel troubles and bladder function disruptions occur, thus helping doctors distinguish this symptom from the other back ache causes. There is also numbness in the anus and weakness around the legs. Well, if urgent treatment isn’t bestowed, quite often the patient risks losing nervous function in the lower body. This is one of the lower back pain reasons.
So, now that you are familiar with the most common reasons for lower back pain, categorizing your pain and knowing just what might be the issue should be easier for you.
