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What Causes Back Pain
Two
common causes of back pain
are disc injury and
degenerative disc disease.
As discs degenerate, they
lose their water content and
height, bringing vertebrae
closer together. The nerve
openings are consequently
narrowed and the added
pressure from the disk can
pinch a nerve causing back
or leg pain.
Often confused with each
other, a bulging disc is
normal, while a ruptured
disc is not. A bulging disc
is a normal process which
happens as the discs carry
body weight throughout the
day. The weight of the body
causes the discs to "bulge"
out. This "bulge" disappears
at night as the weight is
removed.
A
ruptured disc is an injured
or damaged disc that leaks
out watery jelly (called
nucleus pulposus) from the
center of the disc. This
leakage reduces the shock
absorber effect and sometime
the jelly presses against a
nerve and causes pain,
primarily leg pain.
Problems
that can occur.
The Neck
Whiplash Syndrome. If your
head is bent backwards or
forwards violently your neck
ligaments can be strained.
(Ligaments are tough,
inelastic fibers which hold
bones together.) The
symptoms are pain and
stiffness which usually
begin several hours after
the occurrence of the
injury.
A
stiff neck that is
accompanied by a severe
headache, vomiting,
confusion, drowsiness and a
hatred of bright lights may
mean meningitis (an
inflammation of the membrane
covering the brain and
spinal cord).
A
slipped or prolapsed disc in
the cervical spine could
result in a severe pain in
your shoulder, arm or hand.
Small movements may make the
pain worse.
Back and shoulder pain which
is made worse by breathing
and accompanied by a cough
and high temperature may be
caused by a chest infection
such as pneumonia or
pleurisy.
Pain and stiffness in the
back accompanied by numbness
or tingling in the fingers
may suggest osteoarthritis
in the bones of the spine.
The Mid Back
Back pain that becomes worse
after sitting in one
position for a long time may
be caused by poor posture or
by a badly-designed chair.
Stress, anxiety and
emotional worries can lead
to muscle tension which
results in aches and pains
in the back. This is one of
the most common causes of
back pain - probably
affecting as many as eight
out of ten sufferers.
A
sharp pain that is worse
when you breathe in or move
and which follows an injury
may be a result of a broken
rib - or even a damaged bone
in the spine.
If
your pain started after a
trivial movement - such as
tying up your shoe laces or
turning over in bed - it may
be a result of a slipped
disc or a joint problem in
your spine.
Severve, constant pain that
radiates round into your
chest may be a result of a
fracture caused by
osteoporosis of thin bones.
Pain here that is
accompanied by discomfort
when passing urine and/or
blood in your urine may be a
result of a kidney
infection.
If
you get severe pain here
that comes and goes - and
radiates down into your
groin - you may have a
kidney stone.
Pain in the middle of the
back that is made worse by
eating and accompanied by
indigestion may suggest a
stomach ulcer.
A
pain that follows strenuous
exercise may suggest a torn
or strained muscle.
General backache that is
made worse by movement or
cold weather may suggest
arthritis in the spine.
The Lower Back
Did
your low back pain start
fairly quickly after
twisting, bending or lifting
or did it occur after some
apparently trivial movement?
If so, then it may be caused
by a slipped or prolapsed
disc.
If,
in addition to back pain,
you also have pain going
down one or both legs, or
numbness or tingling in one
or both legs, then you may
be suffering from sciatica -
in which the sciatic nerve
can be damaged by a slipped
or prolapsed disc.
If
you are under 30 and you
find that your pain and
stiffness are relieved by
exercise you may have a
condition known as
Ankylosing Spondylitis in
which the discs and
ligaments of the spine
become stiff and bonelike.
Low
back pains that are
accompanied by gynecological
symptoms (discharge,
bleeding etc.) may suggest a
gynecological cause - such
as period pain.
Hips
Pain that is mainly in the
hip or groin, goes down the
front of your leg and gets
worse when you walk may be
caused by an osteoarthritic
hip.
Base of the Spine
Pain in one buttock -
possibly accompanied by pain
in the back of the thigh -
may be caused by a
sacroiliac joint strain. |
