Back Pain

One of the most prevalent medical conditions in the US is back pain. It might seem either boring and persistent or abrupt and acute. It can sometimes appear quickly as a result of an accident, a fall, or carrying something heavy, or it might appear gradually due to the spine’s aging-related degenerative changes. Back pain can occasionally be brought on by inflammatory diseases or other medical illnesses. However, there are activities you can do to enhance your health and reduce your risk of getting chronic or long-lasting back pain. Treatment differs based on the cause and symptoms.

Understanding the Anatomy of the Back

The anatomy of the back has a wide variety of components that cooperate to support your body. Back discomfort can result from issues with any one of these structures.

Types

The following are some ways that doctors and researchers categorise different forms of back pain:

    • Acute back pain happens suddenly and usually lasts a few days to a few weeks.
    • Subacute back pain can come on suddenly or over time and lasts 4 to 12 weeks (about 3 months).
    • Chronic back pain may come quickly or slowly and last longer than 12 weeks (about 3 months)

Causes

Numerous factors, including mechanical or structural issues with the spine, inflammatory diseases, and other medical illnesses, can contribute to back pain.

 

Mechanical/Structural Problems

 The back’s discs, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and spine can all have mechanical or structural issues that cause back discomfort.

  • Sprain: an injury to the ligaments that support the spine, often occurring from twisting or lifting improperly.
  • Strain: an injury to a muscle or tendon.
  • Degenerative disc disease: aging causes the discs between the vertebrae of the spine to break down.
  • Herniated or ruptured discs: the discs compress and irritate nearby nerves. This often occurs at the lumbar level.
  • Spondylolisthesis: a vertebra in the spine slips out of place.
  • Spinal stenosis: a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
  • Fractured vertebrae.
  • Scoliosis or other congenital changes to the spine.

Inflammatory Conditions

  • Ankylosing spondylitis, a specific type of arthritis of the spine.
  • Other types of inflammatory arthritis of the spine.

Other Medical Conditions

  • Osteoporosis, which can lead to painful fractures of the vertebrae.
  • Fibromyalgia, a condition of widespread muscle pain and fatigue.
  • Kidney stones or infections.
  • Endometriosis, which is the buildup of uterine tissue in places outside the uterus.
  • Infections that involve the bones of the spine or the discs between these bones, which can cause pain.
  • Tumors, in rare cases, that develop on the spine or other areas of the back.

 

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Symptoms

  • Weight loss

  • Fever

  • Inflammation or swelling on the back

  • Persistent back pain, where lying down or resting does not help

  • Pain down the legs

  • Pain that reaches below the knees

  • Urinary incontinence

  • Difficulty urinating

  • Fecal incontinence, or loss of control over bowel movements

  • Numbness around the genitals

  • Numbness around the anus

  • Numbness around the buttocks

  • Recent injury, blow or trauma to the back