Lots of things can cause back pain – straining a muscle or ligament, getting hurt, lifting heavy stuff, sitting or lying down for too long, or even wearing a bad backpack. Causes can also include cases like a slipped disc. When that happens, treatment is crucial.
More serious causes of back pain might include:
Arthritis: Arthritis can sometimes mess with the spine, causing back pain. It leads to ‘Spinal Stenosis,’ which narrows the space around the spinal cord and causes pain.
Skeletal Irregularities: This happens when the spine curves to one side causing pain; it’s called scoliosis and usually affects people in middle age.
Slipped Disc: A slipped disc puts extra pressure on nearby nerves & muscles, leading to numbness or weakness in your arm or leg. There are over 10 million cases of slipped discs each year; it’s quite common.
Other factors include age & smoking. Smoking reduces blood flow to your lower back and stops your body from delivering the nutrients needed to keep your back healthy. It also slows down healing.
Back pain symptoms include muscle aches in your back – upper or lower – and sharp or stabbing pains along your spine, sometimes spreading downwards to your legs. Even simple tasks like bending, lifting, sitting, or standing might hurt. In severe cases, there could be numbness or a tingling feeling in your legs.
It’s time to worry if the pain doesn’t go away after resting or if you get new bowel/bladder issues; if it spreads down to one leg (or both), or if you lose weight without trying. Certainly see a doctor if back pain lasts more than 10 weeks—some form of treatment will be necessary by then.
Lots of folks try home remedies for chronic back problems like slipped discs but don’t get great results. That’s when seeing a professional who specializes in pain management becomes important.