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Common Causes of Back Pain

What are the causes of back pain?

Back pain occurs due to several reasons; these include:

1. Back Strain:

This condition occurs when the series of muscles and ligaments in the back holding the “spine” or “vertebral column” in place become weakened and accordingly start causing pain.

Most back strain occurs in the lower back where the back is least supported in the region right after the ribcage. The strain can be caused by over stretching the back muscles which creates some tears in the muscle tissue or through heavy exercising, falling or lifting heavy things.

It can also be caused by being overweight, being out of shape due to lack of exercise, sitting in the same position for long times or even sitting in the wrong posture.

2.Sciatic Pain:

Sciatic pain is a very common type of pain felt in the lower back behind theSciatic Nerve thigh and usually radiates to the back of the knee and is felt on one side of the body. It’s generally caused by the compression, irritation or inflammation of the “Sciatic Nerve” which extends from the lower end of the back and runs through the buttocks and divides above the knees.

3.Herniated Disc:

A disc is a rounded pad of dense fibrous tissue that forms a joint between two adjacent vertebrae to allow their movement and hold them together. Disc herniation is defined as the bulging out of the soft central material of an intervertebral disc due to a tear in its outer layer.

The most common cause of disc herniation is aging. As individuals age, the discs lose some of the fluid inside of them that allows them to remain flexible. This is known as the wear and tear of discs and is often referred to as “Disc Degeneration”. Other causes for disc herniation include sports injuries, a sudden strain or twist to the lower back or a sudden or improper lifting of a heavy object.

Depending on whether the herniated disc is compressing a nerve or not, the pain associated with it can range from mild ache to severe pain, numbness and/or weakness in the area to which the nerve travels. Also, the location of the herniated disc determines the part of the back where the pain will be and the other parts of the body to which it can radiate.

4.Back/Spinal Arthritis:

Arthritis (a painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints) is a very common problem that affects the lumbar spine. It is commonly found in elderly but can also be seen at any age. After the age of 45, it is most commonly seen in females more than males.

Osteoarthritis of the spine (a degeneration of the joint cartilage and discs of the neck and lower back) is the most common type of spinal arthritis and is often referred to as “Spondylosis”. This condition causes lower back pain and stiffness in the back movements.

Spinal arthritis is most commonly seen in patients who are overweight. Individuals who have jobs that involve stressing certain joints of the back are more susceptible to developing arthritis of the spine.

5.Spinal Stenosis:

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves and fibers that are housed inside a canal in the “spine” or “vertebral column” and from which the spinal nerves branch out and extend to the rest of the body. When the space or canal surrounding the spinal cord becomes narrowed, this condition is known as “Spinal Stenosis”.

With “Spinal Stenosis”, the spinal cord nerves or the nerves branching out from it become compressed causing pain, numbness, muscle weakness and/or tingling in either the arms or legs depending on the area of narrowing.

Most common causes for “Spinal Stenosis” are degenerative age related conditions such as bone spurs growing into the spinal canal, spinal arthritis, thickened ligaments that cause them to bulge into the spinal canal. Spinal injuries or accidents may also dislocate a bone causing it to intervene with the spinal canal space causing nerve compression.