Understanding the causes and effects of back pain is crucial in treatment and preventative care.
Unfortunately, back pain typically comes with no objective signs, leaving diagnosis up to the subjective symptoms noticed by the patient. Many causes are normal effects of aging, but can be accelerated or intensified due to injury or poor lifestyle.
It is important to monitor your symptoms so that things don’t get worse.
Key Symptoms:
- Aching pain
- A “shooting , burning or stabbing feeling” (Mayo Clinic)
- Pain that extends down the legs
- Pain that increases with physical activity
- Muscle tightness
What can cause back pain?
- Muscle strains and sprains
- Spinal Curvature Disorders
- Abnormal curves in the spine can lead to excess strain on muscles, fatigue, and pain
- Tumors affecting back muscles or nerves
- Arthritis
- Degenerative Disk Syndrome
- The intervertebral discs in the spine gradually break down, leading to pain, stiffness, and potential nerve compression
- Other muscle and organ diseases
Don't ignore your Back Pain!
The underlying causes of back pain, if left untreated, can pose serious risks like:
- Permanent nerve damage - which can interfere with basic motions and daily living
- Can lead to mental problems such as depression
- The pain may be linked to a disease (including cancer) which could affect major organs
