What is back pain?
What is back pain?
Backbone or spinal cord is the main part of our body around which the alignment of the entire body depends. If your spine is working rightly, it means your bones and joints are perfectly aligned. However, there are number of people, especially elderly people, are more likely to be the sufferers of back ache which make their back muscles unable to function properly. The chances to have back pain increases when the muscles and ligaments of your back are in stress or tension.
What are the symptoms of back pain?
What are the symptoms of back pain?
The most common symptom is twinges and pain at any spot in your spine. Moreover, pain shooting down towards your buttocks and legs is a major sign of having back pain.
Generally, people recover from back pain without any specific treatment but in some cases the pain intensifies and gets prolonged. In such a condition, you must seek medical checkup immediately. Some very common symptoms of your spinal pain are mentioned below;
- Swelling or inflammation in your back
- Feeling of pins and needles
- Pain growing worse
- Reaching down of the pain into your hips and legs
- Shooting of pain down below your knees
- Gradual weight loss
- Consistent back ache whether you sit, stand or lay down
- Any injury or a sudden blow to the back
- Unusual urination
- Numbness around your spine, genitals, anus or thighs
- Losing control over your bowel movements
If any f these symptoms continue to worsen, see your doctor. Few cases in which you should go for a checkup are;
- Pain that remains constant for a longer period of time
- Back pain that does not even gets better after having rest
- Pain that occurs after an accident or any injury
- If you feel weakness along with numbness in your body
What causes back pain?
What causes back pain?
Human back is made up of complex network of muscles, ligaments, discs, tendons, and bones that work together in order to support your entire body enabling human beings to move easily.
Thus, any problem, deformity or abnormality in any of the components of your back can lead to severe back pain. Back pain is generally common in aged people as it can be a result of poor posture, muscle strain, displaced vertebrae discs, muscle stiffness or any injury.
Common conditions that cause back pain are explained below;
- Muscle Strain or muscle tension: Such a situation can occur if you had a sudden unusual movement of your back or if you lift heavy objects on daily basis, with a wrong posture. This ultimately results in the displacement of your back muscles, discs and ligaments. Furthermore, muscle spasms are likely to occur after constant muscle strains.
- Osteoporosis: This is condition in which your bones and joints of the body weaken down. This can cause worst back pain if the bones of your back become porous and brittle. Also, fractures can also be a cause of ache.
- Arthritis: Arthritis is a disease which results in pain and inflammation in your joints. Thus, arthritis can be one of the biggest cause of your back pain where the space around your spinal cord is narrowed down.
- Ruptured or fractured disks: The vertebrae/ bones of human back consist of cushion-like small disks. The cracking or bloating may occur inside the disks eventually causing your back to ache severely.
Muscle Strain or muscle tension:
Osteoporosis:
Arthritis:
Ruptured or fractured disks:
How to treat back pain?
How to treat back pain?
The question which is quite significant is that how you relieve your back pain. It is possible to resolve minor pain at home, by using home remedies, but major pain must be resolved, through medications, after having a proper and detailed medical checkup. Medical treatment includes;
- Medications
- Muscle relaxants
- Heating pads
- Pain relievers
- Physical therapy (yoga or exercise)
- Back stretches through traction
- Cortisone injections (to reduce inflammation)
