Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Cause of Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain, Back Pain Lower, Back Pain
Patients with low back pain are often plagued with frustrations, confusion and distress. Depending on whom they consult (orthopedic, neurosurgeon, traditional medicine practitioners, physiotherapist and chiropractors), they may be told different things, ranging from muscle strain, bone degeneration to spinal pain.
Lower Back Pain
Low Back Pain, Back Pain Lower, Back Pain
Doctors have many ideas about what causes low back pain, but no single explanation applies to everyone. No one back pain is the same as another person. The causes of low back pain can be very complex as there are many structures in the back that can cause pain.
Low Back Pain, Back Pain Lower, Back Pain
Sources of back pain:
  • Prolapsed Disc/Slipped Disc (See Condition)
  • Nerve Root compression/Spinal Cord compression (See Condition)
  • Intervertebral Disc Inflammation (See Condition)
  • Arthritis of Facet Joints in the spine (See Condition)
  • Spinal Fractures
  • Degeneration of Spine (See Condition)
  • Abnormal slippage of spine (Spondylolisthesis)
  • Myofascial Pain/Fibromyalgia (See Condition)
  1. Intervertebral Disc. It may be a disc herniation or a discal tear, resulting in protrusion of disc material into the spinal canal. Treatments using interventional pain procedures include nucleoplasty, intradiscal radiofrequency lesioning.
  2. Impingement of spinal nerve roots. This impingement may be due to protruding disc or enlarging facet joints, encroaching into the spinal canal, resulting in narrowing of the space (spinal stenosis) and nerve entrapment. For patients who are afraid of surgery or not a candidate for open surgical decompression, we can offer adhesiolysis and ballooning of the spine.
  3. Disc Inflammation and Degeneration. The disc may be damaged due to excessive stress and load. This can cause chronic axial back pain without any leg symptoms. Prolonged sitting will precipitate the pain.
  4. Facet Arthropathies/Spondylosis. Facetal pain can be secondary to acute inflammation or degeneration. Additional physical stress may pose on the facet joints if it is compounded with scoliosis or kyphosis of the spine. Radiofrequency ablation of the painful nerves can give relief to patients who do not want fusion of their spine.
  5. Pathological conditions of the vertebral body. Compression fractures of the vertebral body can result in loss of height and additional stress on the surrounding facet joints. Vertebroplasty can be useful to increase the height of those compressed spinal bodies.
  6. Spinal degeneration such as scoliosis, spondyloslisthesis can result in significant structural problems such as curvature of spine – this can cause narrowing of the spinal canal internally or increased muscle tension and spasm externally.
Combination of different conditions
Low Back Pain, Back Pain Lower, Back Pain
Low back pain may be related to aging. As a result of wear and tear on the spine, ligaments, and disks, increased pressure applied axially (by excessive lifting of a load), a disk may begin to protrude or collapse and put pressure on the nerve root leading to a leg or foot, causing pain in those areas (sciatica).
The problem can be aggravated by associated conditions, such as narrowing of the canal or shifting of the vertebra (slippage of spine on top of one another).
Low back pain is sometimes caused by:
  • Excessive stress to the back, such as lifting something heavy
  • Excessive weight gain, with poor surrounding abdominal muscles
  • Minimal movement, such as bending or reaching for something
  • Problems with tendons r ligaments in and around the spine
  • Malpositioning of vertebrae

Occasionally, back pain happens with no cause. There may not be a trauma or any injury sustained by the patient. Nonetheless, the pain is real and needs to be treated. Otherwise the back pain can present slowly and progressively becomes chronic and disabling. Advance investigations with Xray may not pick up any abnormalities in the spine. Muscle sprain resulting in back pain can present this way, and may not show up in any investigations. These conditions while may be disabling, will need other less invasive treatment rather than surgical approaches.

3 comments:

  1. I really appreciate the information which is shared in your blog about the causes of the lower back pain. Lower back pain can cause more than pain, it can cause multiple overall long term health issues.
    back pain relief treatment in Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for such a wonderful post about the lower back with its symptoms and back treatments. Lower back pain is usually a short-term condition lasting from one day to two weeks.
    hotel at manali
    Hotels manali

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good to hear that you've discover your own back pain remedy. You can also look for chiropractor so that it will fully healed.
    call center outsourcing
    outsourcing call centre services at india

    ReplyDelete