Ever wonder why your back constantly hurts? Back pain affects old as well as young people and is very common these days. The older you get, the higher the chances of developing lower back pain. However, multiple reasons can cause back pain that can be either common or uncommon. Some causes include injury, medical conditions and even lifestyle factors.
Any part that comprises the spine can be affected and lead to pain directly or indirectly. This includes:
- The bony part of the spine
- Tendons, ligaments and muscles
- Discs between the vertebrae
- The spinal cord and nerves
What can hurt your back?
Common Causes of Back Pain
Common causes of back pain can include a range of lifestyle, activity-based factors and spinal disorders such as disc herniation, spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal), or degenerative changes in the spine.
Lifestyle
Often our routine and lack of self-care can lead to back pain. We do not pay attention to body posture and often sit or sleep in unhealthy positions which can lead to spinal problems.
One such example is the habit of slouching, which can cause one’s shoulders to slump inwards and their spinal cord to bend. To prevent backaches, it is crucial to keep body posture in check and not bend over desks. Tall people often struggle with this problem which results in a permanent slouched body.
Lack of exercise is another a common problem among people who experience back pain. Weak core and back muscles may fail to provide sufficient support for the spine, making it easier for it to become strained and painful.
Being overweight and lifting heavy weights can also be linked to constant back pain. As such, it is recommended that you keep a healthy lifestyle, avoid smoking and exercise regularly to prevent such occurrences.
If you wear high heels and experience back pain, try to avoid wearing such shoes as they also might be the cause of your condition.
Sports Injuries
Injuries that result from accidents can cause pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Your back could become injured if you twisted it while lifting heavy weights. Most often, such injuries can generate through sports activities or car accidents. Muscles and tendons can often be torn in the lower back, causing you immense back pain.
A Pinched Nerve
Probably one of the most common causes of pain symptoms along the spine, a pinched nerve can also lead to an uncomfortable sensation, numbness, or pain outside the spinal cord. This condition is more related to back pain and neck injuries and occurs when a peripheral nerve experiences damage by increased pressure from the surrounding muscles. This is also sometimes referred to as nerve pain, radiculopathy, or radicular pain.
The cause of a pinched nerve may be due to the body’s position. For example, it could be because of a simple habit such as keeping one’s legs crossed or leaned elbows. Other reasons may also be weight gain, water retention, and pregnancy. Repetitive activities like gardening, use of different tools, or even typing can lead to swelling around a particular area and lead to pain.
The sciatic nerve, located in the lower back, is particularly prone to becoming pinched and can often lead to low back pain. This is referred to a sciatica or sciatic nerve pain.
Uncommon Causes of Back Pain
Some less common causes of back pain include aorta disorders, which may cause chest pain or upper back pain, spinal inflammation, congenital disorders of the spine, issues with internal organs, broken spine bones and infections. Consult a doctor in case of regular and severe pain, or if you experience symptoms such as fever, loss of bladder or bowel control, weakness in the spine, legs or arms.
Additionally, if you have recently been injured or were part of an accident that affected you physically, you might have developed a muscle injury, sprain, strain or even fracture. A fracture might have occurred if you fell on your back or received a direct blow. It can also occur is the person has osteoporosis, as their bones are weakened and thus are more likely to crack.
Treatment
In the case of common spinal problems, they can often be treated at home without the need for pain relievers or invasive procedures such as a spinal fusion. Oftentimes sufficient rest, physical activity or even spinal decompression therapy can provide the desired pain relief and even prevent the recurrence of symptoms, even if the person suffers from chronic back pain.
On the other hand, if the cause of the pain is more complex and has the potential to put the person’s life in danger, it is imperative to seek professional medical advice and obtain a diagnosis and treatment for the specific problem. In some cases where inflammation of the bones or internal organs may be involved, it may also be necessary to consult a specialist in rheumatology to detect or rule out potentially dangerous conditions.
However, if your pain is caused by nothing serious, it may still be treated with minimal intervention, such as decompressing your spine. This can be particularly beneficial for those suffering from a stiff back or pinched nerves. One way to decompress your spine is to use the Backrack device.
Backrack Technology
Author: Spinal Backrack
