The Lowdown on Lower Back Pain Causes

Is this a familiar scenario for you: in the middle of your day to day activities, a spasm of pain suddenly forces you to stop and attempt to ease the discomfort in the vicinity of your lower spine. The culprit? Lower back pain. Countless individuals suffer from this condition as they go about their daily tasks. And a lot of them don’t understanding the exact cause of their pain.

Muscle strain is a frequent culprit in causing lower back pain. So what’s actually taking place? You’re probably overdoing it physically, or lifting and carrying incorrectly. The end result is that your lower back muscles get pulled in directions they’re not used to moving in.

Most often, this is not a serious injury. You will, however, need to stop twisting and turning for a few weeks. Keep the ice pack handy and get used to a horizontal position.

A lumbar sprain is similar to a strain in that they are both popular causes of lower back pain. But unlike a strain, lumbar sprains can be much more painful, because it’s a result of the ligaments being torn. Ligaments are like the supporting stay cables on a suspension bridge. If a cable snaps, the integrity of the bridge is weakened.

Women often experience lower back pain as a result of menstrual cramping or premenstrual syndrome. In the later months of pregnancy there is also increased pressure on your vertebrae and spine. This leads to pinched nerves and quite a bit of discomfort. Endometriosis is another health issue for women that many times will be made worse by pain in the lower back area.

Not stretching your muscles throughout the day can also cause upper back pain. Even performing some back and arm stretches first thing every day can dramatically improve the health of your spine. By exercising the back muscles, you can give them a lot of pain relief, particularly if your job involves a lot of repetitive movements.

There’s a large assortment of triggers that lead to lower back pain, anything from straining a muscle to problems with your sciatic nerves. You can get an accurate diagnosis from your physician, who will examine your back and maybe recommend some tests.

When it comes to back pain treatment, it’s better to be overly cautious than do nothing to eliminate it. Even putting it off for a few weeks can make the condition worse. Like they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Tags: Back Pain, Back Pain Cause, Back Pain Treatment, Lower Back Pain