Why you need to be careful about lower back pain!

Lower back pain is a common issue that affects many people, especially those who have busy and active lifestyles. It can be debilitating and make everyday activities challenging. Knowing the various types and causes of lower back pain is important for getting the right treatment and improving your quality of life.

Key Takeaways:

• Lower Back Pain: Common issue; knowing types and causes is essential for treatment.
• Types & Causes: Include intermittent/chronic pain, injuries, poor posture, aging, and heredity.
• Treatment Options: Physical therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and surgery available.
• Management Tips: Lift properly, stay hydrated, exercise regularly, use pain relievers cautiously, adopt healthy habits.
• Seek Help: Consult a professional for persistent pain; early intervention is essential.
• Preventive Measures: Hydration, exercise, and healthy habits can prevent and manage lower back pain effectively.

Why you need to be careful about lower back pain?

Lower back pain, though common, shouldn’t be ignored. It can signal underlying issues, significantly impact your life, and lead to long-term complications. Be cautious by listening to your body, maintaining good posture, staying active, and managing your weight.

There are different types of back pain.

Lower back pain can be extremely debilitating and affect your daily life. Understanding the different types of lower back pain is important so you can treat it properly and get on with your life.

The types of lower back pain include:

Intermittent or sudden onset. This type of lower back pain comes on suddenly and lasts for a short period. The pain may be severe or mild, but it goes away after a few days or weeks. It may be caused by an injury or muscle strain, but this type of lower back pain is usually not serious.

Chronic/persistent. This kind of lower back pain happens when you do something for a long time or lift something heavy. The pain may come and go or remain constant for months or years. This type of lower back pain is usually caused by arthritis, muscle strain, osteoarthritis (degenerative joint disease), or spinal degeneration (spondylosis).

Common causes of lower back pain.

Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons people visit the doctor. Back pain can be caused by muscle strains, arthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, ruptured or herniated discs, nerve root compression, or a spine infection. It’s also one of the most challenging conditions to treat. There are many possible causes and treatments, but each person’s situation is unique.

Here are some common causes of lower back pain:

Repetitive motion injuries.

These include sprains, strains, and herniated discs (also known as slipped or ruptured discs). Repeating the same action, such as bending to lift something heavy or sitting for a long time, can cause injury.

Injury from impact.

This includes broken bones, bruises, and strains that happen when you get hit in the spine or pelvis.

The lower back is made up of several bones, which are connected by ligaments. These rugged, rubbery tissues help you move your joints and support and stabilize them. When you twist or pivot, these ligaments may become stretched or even torn — a sprain.

Sprains can vary in severity. It depends on how long they take to heal and how much pain and discomfort they cause.

Spinal deformities (curvatures).

If your spine has an abnormal curve that puts pressure on a nerve root, you may have lower back pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your legs or arms. This condition is called spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Injuries or strains.

One of the most common causes of lower back pain is muscle strain. This occurs when your muscles are overworked and become injured or inflamed. Muscle strain is often caused by overuse, injury, or repetitive activities that exert excessive stress on your body. These activities can include lifting heavy objects or maintaining poor posture while sitting at a desk for prolonged periods.

Injuries like sprains, fractures, and falls can lead to inflammation in the spine and nearby tissues, causing muscle weakness, swelling, and pain that spreads down to each leg. The resulting pressure on the nerves may also cause shooting sensations in your legs when you move them around!

Heredity.

Having a family history of back pain and related conditions like arthritis or scoliosis is common.

Poor posture.

If you’re hunched over all day at work, you’ll likely experience pain in your lower back. This is because your muscles and ligaments become stressed from being in this position for so long. Ligaments are tough, rubbery tissues that connect two bones at a joint. They help keep your joints stable and provide support for your body. Ligaments are torn or stretched, which causes pain and swelling in the back.

Hamstring muscle tears can cause pain when running or jumping, but usually no limp unless the tears are severe. When power is pulled, it can cause pain and tenderness on one side of the body. This can happen when the muscle is stretched too far or when you stand up quickly after sitting for a long time.

Poor lifestyle habits.

Being overweight or obese can cause pressure on the spine and back pain. Smoking can also make this condition worse because it cuts off blood flow and makes tissues, nerves, and joints more inflamed.

Aging.

The discs between your vertebrae become less flexible with age. That makes you more likely to experience pain when twisting or bending over.

Heavy lifting and twisting movements.

These actions put stress on your spine and can cause injury over time.

Injuries such as sprains or fractures can cause lower back pain.

Pregnancy and childbirth can cause back pain due to the increased weight and changes in posture.

Treatments for low back pain

There are many treatments for lower back pain. Some are more effective than others, and some can be more costly. Examples of treatments include:

• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Acupuncture
• Surgery and devices

Don’t lift weights

When lifting, make sure your lower back is supported properly. Your pelvis should be slightly angled forward as you push up your legs, and your thighs should be parallel to the ground. This position keeps you from supporting your body with your hands instead of your legs while lifting.

If you feel pain in your hips or knees, it’s time to lower the weight. To reduce the risk of injury, it is important to decrease the strain on the muscles in your hip and knee. This can be achieved by reducing the load or weight you put on them.

Try using lighter weights that challenge you slightly beyond your current level. Focus on finding the right weight gradually and don’t worry about losing muscle tone, which takes longer to build back. Lowering the weight after a half lift is a good idea because it helps you apply more stress to your joints and muscles.

Stay hydrated

One of the biggest sources of lower back pain is dehydration. When you are not drinking enough water, your body can become dehydrated, which stresses your muscles and joints.

When this happens, inflammation is often triggered. This can cause muscle spasms and stiffness, as well as soreness and pain in the affected area.

Drinking 64 ounces of water every day keeps your body hydrated and reduces the risk of chronic lower back pain.

You should also make sure to drink enough salt too. Health experts advise consuming 6 grams of sodium for every 1,000 kilocalories. This is equivalent to approximately two teaspoons of table salt or over one gram of sea salt.

But don’t overdo it; 2,300 milligrams (2 cups) is adequate for most people. Too much salt can contribute to hypertension and stroke, so only add the necessary amount of salt to your food.

Get an exercise routine

Being diagnosed with lower back pain doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising, walking, or working. In fact, it is important to do things that strengthen your lower body muscles.

Many of these exercises can be done at home with little to no equipment. Once you learn how to do them, you will!

You can also try using weights to work out as well. Lifting weights helps reduce lower back pain by strengthening the muscles around the painful area.

But make sure to start with less weight until you know what kind of weight is appropriate for you and your condition.

Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs

Using pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs is effective for short-term relief of lower back pain. However, it’s important to be cautious when using these medications regularly. These medications can harm you if used too often, whether bought without a prescription or prescribed by a doctor. For example, when used frequently, these medications may cause stomach irritation, nausea, and vomiting. Only take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory drugs for chronic lower back pain when necessary and do not exceed the recommended dosage given by your doctor or pharmacist.

Stronger drugs

There are also stronger drugs that you can try. These medications will help with the pain but also come with risks.

• Painkillers such as codeine and morphine are addictive and may cause dangerous side effects in the long run. You can briefly use them to ease severe back pain, but avoid using them for a long time or if you have a history of substance abuse or addiction.
• Anti-inflammatory drugs like prescription ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) are also not recommended if you’re taking blood thinners, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take aspirin regularly because they might increase your risk of bleeding excessively when taken together with these other medications.
• Oxycodone blocks pain signals by stimulating nerves in the spinal cord, but it can also slow down breathing and lead to life-threatening respiratory problems when used for extended periods, such as sleep apnea syndrome.

Types of lower back pain Physical therapy

Physical therapy can help you:

• Strengthen your core muscles and improve flexibility.
• Relax your muscles and reduce tension.
• Improve your posture.
• Get back to work or your normal activities

Chiropractic care

Chiropractic care may be the answer if you are experiencing lower back pain. Chiropractors are healthcare professionals who specialize in treating pain and other health issues through spinal manipulation and other techniques. They have completed at least four years of college and additional training. Chiropractors help patients achieve their goals by manipulating the spine, giving massages, using heat or cold therapy, giving advice about diet and exercise, and giving advice about how to live.

Contact us today to learn more about how chiropractic care can help with your lower back pain!

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an old way to treat pain by putting very thin needles in certain spots on the body. These “acupoints” correspond to a particular organ or system. Getting acupuncture feels like tapping or pressing on these spots (which can be slightly painful).

The effectiveness of acupuncture has been well-documented over the last several decades. It treats many conditions and diseases, such as lower back pain, headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, menstrual cramps, and more. Acupuncture works by regulating pain pathways at both physiological and psychological levels. Physiologically, it affects the immune system response, while psychologically, it helps us learn to cope with stress.

Surgery and Devices

If you’ve tried everything and your doctor still thinks surgery is the best option, then go for it. But it’s important to remember that this is the last resort.

Surgery can treat specific lower back pain, like herniated discs or spinal stenosis (when there’s nerve pressure). However, surgery isn’t always successful and comes with risks like infection or a reaction to anesthesia. A second spine operation may not guarantee more success than the first one, especially if it is required due to complications from the initial surgery.

Epidural steroid injections and nerve blocks can help with chronic lower back pain caused by conditions like arthritis or degenerative disc disease when other treatments do not work. These devices can also help reduce inflammation so that people with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis don’t get any worse. They are sometimes given to people after surgery as well. And while these devices might seem promising at first glance, they are not

The cause of the pain can be tricky to pinpoint – but it’s important to determine the cause to get relief.

The cause of pain can be challenging to pinpoint, but it’s crucial to identify it for relief.

Back pain is a prevalent issue that can be difficult to diagnose due to its various types and causes depending on the individual’s situation. If you suspect lower back pain, consulting a healthcare professional is essential to determine the underlying issue and receive appropriate treatment.

Diagnosing lower back pain starts with distinguishing between pain caused by an injury or strain/sprain. Severe spinal injuries such as whiplash from a car accident, a herniated disc from falling down stairs, or sciatica from prolonged sitting at work require immediate attention and possibly time off work, leading to long-term effects.

Persistent discomfort while lying still for extended periods at night may indicate nerve irritation affecting multiple areas, not just one area compressed against another bone structure.

Seeking Professional Help

If you have ongoing lower back pain, see a healthcare professional. They can help you find out what’s causing it and give you the right treatment. It’s essential to address back pain early to prevent it from worsening and affecting your daily life.

Taking care of your body with hydration, exercise, and lifestyle choices can help manage and prevent lower back pain. Listen to your body’s signals and seek help when needed to ensure a healthy and pain-free back!

Conclusion

Lower back pain isn’t necessarily a big deal, but knowing how to prevent it from worsening is important. Take care of your body by getting enough rest and drinking enough water. Also, don’t let yourself get too stressed out!

If your lower back hurts, you should see a doctor to find out what’s wrong. A lot can be done to help relieve the pain and hopefully get you back on your feet!