Lower back pain is one of the most common health issues almost every individual may face at some point in his / her lifetime, in a mild or more severe degree. Described as a musculoskeletal disorder, it poses serious obstacles in the patient’s everyday activities and should be looked after carefully by a specialist in order to be relieved as effectively as possible. However, in this post, we are not going to present you ways to treat it but rather focus on the lower back pain causes.
Before we go through some of the most common lower back pain causes, it is important to specify that identifying the specific cause of the pain is not always a simple task. However, below are some of the fundamental causes of this troublesome situation:
Lower Back Pain Causes
One of the most common lower back pain causes is the injury to the tendons, the ligaments or the muscles of the region, scientifically known as lumbar strain. (Note that the lumbar area is the largest and strongest part of the spinal column.) Individuals who overuse their back, lift weights, adopt a wrong sitting position are very vulnerable to develop this kind of malfunction. Also, lumbar strain can be attributed to an injury of the back – the more severe the injury, the more intense the pain and the spasms, resulting in major harassment and discomfort.
Another factor which can trigger lower back pain is damage to the discs which are located between the vertebrae. If an injury occurs or simply due to aging, the central softer portion of the disc wears or slips bringing about compression and irritation of nerve roots and spinal cord nerves in the lumbar region and, consequently, provoking lower back pain, especially when making sudden moves. Apart from the pain, the patient may feel numbness in the area of the back.
Arthritis of the lumbar spine is also included in the list of lower back pain causes. When the joints which hold together the spinal column or the vertebrae are affected by arthritis, the patient’s back starts losing its flexibility; as a result, difficulty in movements, stiffness and pain occur.
Spinal stenosis can equally contribute to the generation of lower back pain. Mainly due to aging, the spinal canal starts “shrinking” as concerns its width. Inevitably, the narrowing of the spinal canal and the stiffening of the ligaments bring about discomfort and pain.
There is also another health disorder which can be included in the list of lower back causes, however, it tends to be underrated: Obesity. Individuals carrying extra weight are much more likely to develop pain in the back because all these excessive pounds put abnormal pressure on discs and muscles while forcing the core in unusual sitting positions. Therefore, pain in the back becomes unavoidable.
In conclusion, lower back pain can be triggered by a number of causes, and consequently, the way to treat it varies depending on the case. So, if you happen to encounter this problem, consult an experienced specialist who will choose the appropriate therapy for you.