What is Lower Back Pain?
Lower back pain is a common condition affecting the lumar region of your spine. It can result from many different injuries and conditions. This is often due to an injury to the muscles or tendons in your back, with some may also be caused by a chronic, medical problem.
Your spine and lower back do a lot to support your body, such as:
- Providing stability for the rest of your spine
- Serving as a point of attachment for muscles and ligaments involved in mobility
- Supporting your body's weight
- Serves as the center of your body's balance
Nearly everyone would have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives. Lower back pain typically goes away after two to six weeks, though in extreme cases, lower back pain can make it difficult to walk, sleep, work or do everyday activities.
Lower back pain may be separated into two main categories:
- Mechanical Pain: Often caused by stress on the spine's joints, disks, or soft tissue and is related to movement, posture or physical activity. It may present as a dull ache that gets worse with acitivities.
- Non-Mechanical Pain: It is pain not directly caused by movement or physical stress, and may not improve with rest. It may have a neuropathic origin and often a sign there is a disease that is affecting the spine, such as an infection or cancer.
What are the symptoms of Lower Back Pain?
Symptoms of lower back pain may vary depending on the parts of the spine or back affected. Some common symptoms experienced include:
- Back stiffness and reduced range of movement
- Posture problems, difficulty standing up straight
- Muscle spasms
- Pain that spreads to the buttocks or thighs
- Numbness or tingling in the leg, foot or toes.
- Pain that comes and goes, or could be persistent
What causes Lower Back Pain?
The causes of lower back pain include:
- Arthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis to cause lower back pain. Anklyosing spondylitis, another type of arthritis, causes lower back pain.
- Strains and sprains: Strains and sprains are the most common causes of back pain. You can injure muscles, tendons or ligaments by lifting something too heavy or not lifting safely.
- Disk problems: Spinal disks provide cushioning between your vertabrae. They may builge from their position in your spine and press on your nerve, resulting in pain.
- Spinal fractures: The bones in your lumbar might break during an accident, with certain conditions such as osteoporosis increasing your risk of fractures.
- Poor posture: Sitting for long periods of time may put more pressure on your back, resulting in back pain.
- Structural issues: Spiral stenosis happens when your spinal column is too narrow for your spinal cord. Something pinching on your spinal cord can lead to severe sciatic nerve pain and lower back pain.
- Menstrual cramps: Some menstruating people experience lower back pain or lower back pain during their period
What are the risk factors of Lower Back Pain?
Some people are more susceptible to lower back pain as compared to others. Some risk factors for lower back pain include:
- Age: People over 30 are more likely to experience back pain as your vertebral disks wear away with age. As the disk weakens and wear down, pain and stiffness can result.
- Weight: People who have a high body mass index (BMI) are more likely to have back pain. Excess weight puts pressure on joints and disks.
- Poor core strength: Weakened abdominal muscles are not able to properly support your spine, which may lead to back sprains and strains.
- Overall health: People who smoke, drink alcohol excessively and live a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of back pain.
How can I prevent Lower Back Pain?
Not all causes of lower back pain are preventable but you can take some steps to avoid injuries that cause lower back pain, such as:
- Maintain a healthy weight: Excess weight puts pressure on your vertebrae and disks.
- Strengthen core muscles: Yoga, pilates and other exercise programmes work to strengthen your core, hips and back muscles to support your spine.
- Practice proper technique when lifting heavy items: To avoid injuries, lift heavy items with your legs and not your back. Hold the heavy item with your body and try not to twist your torso while you are lifting.
- Warming up properly before physical activity: Warm up with gentle stretches before exercising.
How is Lower Back Pain diagnosed?
Blood Tests
Blood tests can be used to detect genetic markers for markers indicative of conditions that cause back pain (like anklyosing spondylitis).
Imaging Tests
Tests such as MRI and CT scans can be done to get an image of your bones and soft tissue for a diagnosis.
