Lower Back Pain – Causes and Cures
About 80 percent of the population experiences back pain, frequently lower back pain, at some point in time. Since this is a problem which affects nearly everyone, it is important to know what the causes of lower back pain are. You also need to know how to control these factors to keep severe lower back pain to a minimum.
Causes of Lower Back Pain
As we age, we lose a lot of our body’s natural muscle tone and elasticity. As well, bone strength generally decreases as we get older. Our spinal discs lose flexibility due to the loss of fluid. This results in less protection for the vertebrae. Simply growing older can be a cause of lower back pain.
If the ligaments or muscles in your back experience a sprain, spasm, or strain, the spinal discs can burst or bulge. This leads to increased pressure on your spinal cord nerves. Your back will let you know about this through neural signs, more commonly known as pain. What are the causes of these strains, sprains and spasms? Frequently, this type of injury is caused by attempting to lift heavy objects or overstretching the muscles.
Lower back pain can also be caused by diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. Other causes include disc or joint irritation, viral infections, or spinal abnormalities.
Lifestyle factors can also be contributors to lower back pain. This includes smoking, being overweight, pregnancy, stress, bad posture and being in poor shape. Hip pain and lower back pain sometimes come as a distressing package deal. Another cause of lower back pain can be scar tissue from old injuries – this can also lead to further, more critical injuries.
When to Worry About Lower Back Pain
You should take your lower back pain seriously if it comes along with other symptoms. These might include a fever, a painful cough, loss of bladder or bowel control and muscular weakness, especially in the legs. If you experience any of these symptoms along with your lower back pain, see your doctor right away. They may indicate a pinched nerve or other underlying problem. If you suffer from diabetes, your back pain might be related to neuropathy.
Avoiding Lower Back Pain
By paying attention to proper back pain management techniques, most lower back pain can be avoided. Poor posture is often the root cause of lower back pain that never quite goes away. There are ways to change this. Stand straight, remember to lift with your legs rather than with your back, and do exercises to build lower back strength. Be certain that you pay attention to workplace ergonomics while on the job. This will greatly impact your ability to prevent lower back pain.