Low Back Pain and Its Causes

                                                                                         

Low back pain has become very common these days. In one of the surveys, in North America it is found that after sore throats, one of the most common reasons to make doctor visits is back pain. While such pain or discomfort can happen anywhere in your back, the most common area affected is your low back. This is because the low back supports most of your body's weight. Low back pain may be acute if it has lasted less than six weeks, sub-acute if it has lasted six to twelve weeks and chronic if it has lasted more than twelve weeks.
Many things can cause low back injuries. For example muscle strain or spasm, sprains of ligaments [which attach bone to bone] joint problems or a “slipped disk.” The most common cause is using your back muscles in activities you're not used to. Any number of things can cause back pain: lifting something heavy, bad posture, sitting in a weird position while studying all night. The main cause for a low back pain is a strain of the muscles or other soft structures connected to the back bones. The pain often begins suddenly, and may follow an obvious strain or injury. Pain felt in your lower back may come from the spine, muscles, nerves, or other structures in that region.
However, some low back pain can be a symptom of a more serious condition, such as an infection, a rheumatic or arthritic condition, or ovarian cysts. It may be caused by a ruptured or bulging disk, the strong, spongy, gel-filled cushions that lie between each vertebra. Compression fractures of the bones in the spine can also cause low back pain, especially in older women with osteoporosis. In addition, poor overall fitness, smoking, and general life dissatisfaction increase a person's risk for low back problems.
The general causes for a low back pain includes the follows:
· Muscle weakness
· Accident or injury
· Unexplained fever
· If you are over 30
· You have had cancer or have a strong family history of cancer
· Muscle spasm
· Degeneration of the disks
· Strain to the muscles supporting to the back.
· Are pregnant
· Work involving heavy lifting, lots of bending and twisting, or whole body vibration.
· Have bad posture
· Have a low pain threshold
The good news is that most back pain does not signify any serious underlying problem, and will sort its self out within a few days to few weeks. There are many things you can do to lower your chances of getting back pain. The key is to know when you need to seek medical help and when self-care measures alone will allow you to get better.

About the author:
Kris Rench, MS, OTR/L is a director of rehabilitation and spine expert. You can learn more about his products by visiting http://www.endspinepain.com


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