Top 5 Causes of Low Back Pain

Back pain ranks as one of the leading causes of disability in the world and is among the top reasons why patients miss work or visit the doctor's office. Fortunately for you, there are many back pain treatment methods that are available to help you manage your pain and improve your quality of life. Before you begin treatment, it's important that you understand the causes of back pain so you can decide on a plan of action that will work best for your condition. Take a look at the different types of back pain and the treatment methods that are available.

Mechanical Back Pain typically occurs when your back muscles become tight or overstretch. This can occur while doing simple activities such as lifting a bag or newspaper. To treat this type of pain, it's important to stretch the back muscles slowly and thoroughly. Start slowly by placing your hands on your lower back and gently moving your arms in a slow, light motion. You can use light stretches that target specific muscles. Your doctor can recommend physical therapy or other alternative treatments to help reduce or eliminate back pain caused by overexertion.

Rotator Cuff Syndrome Rotator cuff injuries often result from improper technique when lifting. The muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bursa that make up the rotator cuff are very complex and highly connected. Proper use of these muscles, when doing normal daily activities, can lead to a variety of problems, including back pain. Lifting properly is important. You want to maintain good form as much as possible and avoid straining the muscles or joints as you lift. If you are having difficulty with lifting, try practicing the proper form while lying on your side and lifting your shoulders instead of your head.

Greater Risk Factors For Back Pain Older adults are more likely than younger people to experience back pain over the course of their lifetimes. However, this does not mean that older adults automatically get older, they can have back pain just as young people can. A number of things can increase the risk for back pain, including obesity and poor muscle tone. Fat can collect around the muscle and cause inflammation, while poor muscle tone can cause your back to tighten and pinch.

Your Body Mechanics Diet and Exercise Your body mechanics are primarily based on your genetics and body structure. Because of these, it is extremely difficult to change your body mechanics dramatically. Even so, certain changes can be made to help strengthen your back muscles and alleviate some of your pain. Eating a healthy diet can improve your muscle tone, which can reduce the stress that your body experiences when you exercise. When you exercise, your body mechanics become more efficient. This results in less work for the back muscles, less strain, and more overall efficiency.

Discs and Nerves Some back pain can be caused by pulled or herniated disc problems. These are conditions where one or more of your intervertebral discs have ruptured. The intervertebral discs are ringed sacs filled with fluid that cushion the nerve roots. When these discs rupture, the nerves inside run smack into very tight spaces. While this makes it extremely painful, it's not usually a life-threatening situation. In most cases, these disc problems can be treated through physical therapy and conservative treatment methods.

Other Back Pain Causes Some back pain is caused by a condition known as osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis causes the cartilage that protects your spinal bones to wear down over time. This causes the bones to rub together, irritating and sometimes painful joints. Other causes of low back pain include injury and disease, such as Parkinson's disease. Conditions such as these that result in low back pain include arthritis, degenerative bone diseases, bulging disks, degenerative disks, disk disorders, spinal cord injuries, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, among other conditions.

Lifting and Poor Posture A common cause of back pain is improper lifting techniques. For instance, lifting from awkward postures can result in herniated disks, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis, bulging disks, and even osteoporosis. People who lift with bad lifting technique are at greater risk for back pain than those who use proper lifting technique. This also applies to those who work in professions where they're constantly lifting heavy objects, such as construction workers and maintenance workers.