Back Pain

Back pain is a common disorder which involves the muscles, bones and nerves of the back. Back pain can vary from a mild, dull, constant ache, to a very sudden, sharp and painful feeling. Almost everybody will experience back pain at one point or another in their lives. The pain can be short lived or long lasting, but however it happens, it can make your everyday activities quite difficult to do.

Back pain affects people of any age, however, it’s significantly more common amongst adults aged between 35 – 55 years.

Causes of Back Pain

Back pain generally varies from one person to the other. The pain may have a slower gradual onset, or it can happen suddenly. The pain can be intermittent, or constant.

Back pain can be linked to the body’s bony lumbar spine, the discs between your vertebrae, the ligaments around the discs and spine, the spinal cord, the back muscles, the pelvic and abdomen internal organs, and also the skin which surrounds the lumbar area. It may be described as lower back pain depending on the source of the discomfort.

Here are some of the more common causes of back pain;

A specific sudden movement like bending or lifting.
Aging.
Over-activity can stretch and injure the back muscles.
Disc tear; Some small tears on the outer part of the disc (known as annulus) can at times occur due to aging. Disc tear can result in lower back pain which lasts for weeks and at times even months or longer.
Disk herniation.

Risk Factors of Back Pain

A risk factor is basically something that increases likelihood of developing a certain condition or disease.

The risk factors for back pain include, but are not limited to;

A sedentary lifestyle.
A mentally stressing job.
Pregnancy; pregnant women are at a higher risk of getting lower back pain.
Age; Older adults are much more susceptible to back pain than younger adults or kids.
Depression.
Smoking.
Anxiety.
Gender; Lower back pain is much more common amongst females than males.
Obesity or overweight.
Strenuous physical exercises and physical work.

Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain

Back pain symptoms vary. Some of the most common symptoms include, but not limited to;

A sharp, sudden and stabbing feeling.
Low back pain.
A dull, achy lower back pain.
A pinching type cramp.
Pain which arises from the back, and goes all the way down to your legs and buttocks.
Elevated body temperature accompanied with a dull backache.
Inflammation on the lower back.
Persistent back pain, and resting or lying down doesn’t help.
Back ache and numbness around your buttocks.
Pain which gets worse when you bend and/or lift something.
Back pain which gets worse when you sit.
Back pain which gets worse when you walk or even stand.
Significant leg weakness
Severe and continuous abdominal pain accompanied by a backache.

Suffering from Back Pain?