Try cleaning your house for an entire day or working in front of a computer for a couple of hours straight, and in just a few minutes, you’ll be experiencing that insufferable pain in your lower back. Funny as it seems, it looks like lower back pain is one of the few things most of us have in common.
However, lower back pain is, obviously, not a laughing matter. It can result from many things, but the outcome is almost always the same, the inability to work or do tedious tasks with ease. Even the simplest things like moving a table or a chair can sometimes feel overwhelming because of the fear of inducing another bout of agonizing pain. That’s why we need to understand what this condition is. In this article, we’ll teach you the causes and symptoms of back pain.
What Are the Primary Causes of Back Pain?
Many factors cause back pain. Some result from poor habit, while others are a bit abrupt and sudden, like accidents. To further expound on that, we’ve prepared a quick list of the leading causes of back pain.
Muscle Strain
Contrary to the common belief that lower back pain is mainly a spinal issue, muscle or ligament strain can also be the culprit. If you lift heavy objects regularly, it can cause the muscles and ligaments in your back to strain or spasm, leading to lower back pain.
However, this is not entirely limited to lifting heavy objects. You see, our spine is designed to support our back and entire weight from the pelvis upwards. If you habitually sit with a bad posture, you are at bigger risks of suffering from muscle strain and lower back pain.
Ruptured Disks
Disks are found between the vertebra of your spine. This disk holds a soft material inside that kind of works like a cushion between your bones. When you rupture a disk, whether it’s because of sudden awkward movement or an accident, your bone might start pressing on a nerve, causing back pains.
Skeletal Irregularities
Some causes of back pain can also be genetic or hereditary. There are many people born with poor skeletal instability. Although this might not appear in your early ages, or it might not even be genetic, skeletal irregularities such as scoliosis in which your spine slightly curves to the side can also result in back pain.
Osteoporosis
If you don’t take good care of your bones, drinking milk or eating healthy food, for example, will speed up the process of weakening your entire skeletal system, thus including your spine. When your bones get brittle, it’ll be harder to support your back’s weight, therefore resulting in back pains.
Back Pain Symptoms
Although most people shrug it off, we highly suggest that you pay close attention to how your body behaves. It might be telling you something that you need to know. For example, merely shrugging off extreme pain in your lower back and deducing it to just an episode can actually be something more and lead to a worse condition. These symptoms help you learn whether you have back problems.
Worsens with Physical Activity
If you’re already experiencing back pains and it worsens whenever you try to do difficult, physically enduring tasks, you might be facing a serious health risk. If your back is already suffering from damage, physical activities cause the pain to increase exponentially. Ensure that you look for a credible chiropractic physician to understand and treat what you’re going through.
Worsens at Night
When you work all day, your body had to endure pretty much all the tasks you did. Your body might function normally with adrenaline and other hormones trying to work together to reduce the pain in your back. However, when you rest at night and your hormones are not at work, that’s when your brain focuses on the pain, and you start experiencing extreme agony in your lower back.
Numbness
Your spine is essential as it functions as the bridge that transmits signals between your brain and all the other parts of your body. When your spine is damaged, some nerves find it difficult to function or render it non-functional at all. This can cause numbness in your body’s different parts, particularly those in proximity to it, like your legs. You might also find it hard to bend your toes as your spine problems can also cause compressed nerves.
Back pain is like a curse cast upon you, limiting your ability to do work and significantly reducing the things you’re capable of doing. Even the simplest tasks like running would seem like a great feat when you have to endure such agony from your back. Understanding where it’s coming from is essential in finding treatment.
