Sometimes, back pain develops suddenly due to a particular incident, and sometimes it develops over time from a recurrent injury. With its many interconnected and overlapping structures, the spine is prone to injuries and back pain. Back pain and chronic lower back pain may be common conditions, but they usually involve complexities requiring a deeper assessment to properly address it with the appropriate treatments. We’ll explain lower back pain by examining more about its causes, symptoms, types, and structure, and when it is considered chronic lower back pain.
Lower Back Pain
Back pain can occur in any part of the back, but the lower back is the most common spot because it supports a large portion of your body weight. For this reason, back pain in the middle and upper back can often be a sign of something other than muscle stress. Often back pain comes from the hip, sometimes from below the shoulders, the neck, or even the upper back and lower legs. Lower back pain is also called lumbago, which takes its name from the lumbar spine and its connection to the lower back. It can be a combination of pain that radiates into the buttocks region, or it can be due to injury to the lumbar nerve.
For example, people with sciatica may feel back pain or pain in the buttocks that spread to the legs and feet. If a disc has been herniated, wear and tear can be felt on the vertebral joints, which radiate excruciating pain from the leg and lower back. You may feel burning pain, combined with pain in the buttocks going down one leg.
Types of Back Pain
Back pain can be acute or chronic, and several treatments may or may not work for the same condition. It can be difficult for a doctor to determine whether a person has acute or chronic back pain (or both) because they often have the same type of injury, such as a spinal cord injury. The extent and nature of pain depend almost entirely on the cause and severity of the underlying problem. The treatment you receive for back pain depends on its cause, severity, and the underlying cause. If you do not feel better after a few weeks, your doctor may advise you to seek other treatments.
Chronic Pain
Acute back pain can last from a few days to a few weeks, while chronic back pain is pain that lasts longer. Chronic pain is a type of back pain that lasts over three months and has an average duration of six months or more. Back pain can also be considered chronic if pain persists for a longer period, up to a year or more, or if it develops gradually and causes long-term problems. Back pain may require a tailored treatment plan if it lasts longer than three months or if the pain becomes severe. Chronic nonspecific back pain means that the cause of the low back pain cannot be identified.
Back Structure
The spine, also referred to as the vertebrae column, consists of 33 bones called the vertebrae. There are three sections of the vertebrae, which are the cervical, the thoracic spine, and the lumbar region. There are 7 cervical vertebrae, 12 thoracic vertebrae, forming the upper back, and 5 lumbar vertebrae forming the lower back. The regions of the vertebra are named from L1 to L5, from bottom up.
The lower back, where most back pain occurs, includes the five vertebrae (L1-L5) in the lumbar region that carry much of the weight of your upper body. These include L2, L3, and L4, as well as the lower spine and spinal cord. The lower back, where most of the back pain has occurred, including the four vertebrae (L 1-L5), which carry a large part, if not all, of the weight in our upper body.
Consider Natural Chiropractic for Back Pain Relief
If you suffer from back pain and struggle to find pain relief, an experienced chiropractor or a physiotherapist specializing in correcting spinal diseases can be of enormous help. If there is a specific reason for your back pain, you must get a diagnosis from a back pain specialist. You can contact us if you have any questions about your diagnosis or even for the specific type of injury or spinal cord injury you are experiencing. and we will contact you as soon as possible.
Causes and Symptoms
How to relieve back pain is one of the most searched for health terms on the Internet. There are many causes of lower back pain, but the two most common are back and neck pain and pain in the shoulders and hips. There are many different causes for this condition, such as spinal injuries and diseases that can cause back and neck pain. Let’s examine various types of back pain and their causes.
Disc and Spinal Injuries
Some of the causes of back pain are herniated discs, spinal cramps, spinal cord injuries, or a combination of all. Disc herniations have been observed in people with spinal cord disorders and spinal stenosis, as well as in patients with arthritis and other spinal diseases. A herniated disc occurs when the discs are compressed or out of kilter, which can cause pain and/or damage to the spinal cord thus causing back pain.
Spinal Abnormalities and Irregularities
Irregularities in the spine can cause back pain in adults, such as lordosis or scoliosis. Sometimes spinal irregularities can cause pain in the lower back, and these spinal abnormalities can cause acute back pain. An abnormal curvature of the spine can cause back pain due to structural abnormalities of the spine that can develop at any age. A herniated disc can also cause back pain or other structural pain accompanied by shingles - such as burning pain in the upper body. Lower back pain can be associated with ligaments around the spine, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, or nerve abnormalities of the spine.
Back Injury from Improper Lifting
Improper lifting of heavy objects to a pre-existing condition can worsen back pain and lead to a back injury. Incorrectly lifted heavy loads can strain or sprain muscles and ligaments in the back and cause acute back pain. Twisted or misdrawn heavy loads can cause muscles or ligaments in the back to contract or sprain, resulting in acute back pain.
Back pain can have many symptoms, including a dull feeling of pain in the back, a stabbing or shooting pain that can radiate from the legs or feet. Symptoms of sciatica include burning or tingling in one leg, screaming pain that makes it difficult to stand up, and difficulty in moving the leg or foot. It can also be associated with neurological symptoms such as numbness or tingling.
One of the most common symptoms of persistent chronic back pain occurs when you stay active when back pain occurs. Lower back pain can feel like a burning pain, sharp or dull pain, varying in intensity from mild to severe. Even if your back pain is only mild to moderate, severe back pain occurs when the pain is constant and intense and worsens at rest. They can be accompanied by muscle spasms, joint pain, or stiffness, vomiting, dizziness, loss of balance, headache, fatigue, and nausea.
Prevention
Back pain can be constant, or they come and go, from a dull, throbbing pain in the spine (osteoarthritis) to a shooting, sharp pain (herniated disc), and can be exacerbated by exercise, or sitting for long periods of time. To prevent future pain, we need to get to the source of what causes your back pain. These recommendations can help you relieve your back pain and prevent future problems.
Taking time for self-care can be a significant advantage when dealing with chronic back pain.
Stretching is one of the most effective ways to relieve lower back pain and prevent future back problems.
If you have chronic back pain, try to stay as physically active as possible, it can help reduce the symptoms’ severity.
Treatment
What type of back pain are you experiencing, and what treatment do you require? Only trained medical professionals can diagnose these ailments correctly and propose the appropriate treatment plans for each of these diseases. Regardless of what causes your back pain, a spine specialist has the expertise needed to design a targeted treatment plan that aims to alleviate your pain and improve your quality of life.
If you have recently developed lower back pain, treatment may start by avoiding activities that put a strain on your spine, such as lifting heavy objects. To achieve the best possible treatment for your lower back and neck pain, getting a diagnosis from a chiropractor or a back pain specialist is vital. There are many options available for treating back pain through chiropractic care. Back pain treatment can include physical therapy, manual therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, and other treatment methods.
The effects of spinal manipulation on chronic back and neck pain are now coming into play. A study looked at the effect of acupuncture, manual therapy, and spinal manipulation on patients’ back pain. It showed a positive impact on pain relief and improvement in the patient’s functional status. If someone is trying to get the right diagnosis and treatment, seeing a chiropractor for treatment can make a big difference. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy for back pain to help you to live a pain-free, healthy life. Physiotherapists who design exercises at home can help you recover faster. Keeping up with them regularly strengthens the muscles in the lower back, reducing the likelihood of a return of back pain.
The benefits of chiropractic treatments and exercise programs are countless but, always consult your doctor before starting a physical activity program to ensure it is the right treatment for you.