Detailed Advice About Lower Back Pain Causes
Posted by Janet Dawson on Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Under: Back Pain Causes
Lower back pain causes such as nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, lumbar strain, and joints and bone conditions are some of the reasons you feel pain in your lower back. All these lower back pain causes will be discussed in this article.
1. Irritation in the nerves
Irritation in the nerves is one of the known lower back pain causes. Patients with this condition experience extreme pain due to the irritation in their lumbar spine caused by diseases developing on the nerves' paths, which can affect the roots of the spinal cord up to the skin's surface. Different diseases caused by back pain, including nerve inflammation, bony encroachment and lumbar diseases are often associated with the irritation in the nerves.
2. Lumbar Strain
A lumbar strain is also one of most common lower back pain causes. It is the stretching injury to the tendons, ligaments of low back muscles. The incidents of stretching often lead to varying degrees of microscopic tears in these tissues. The injury occurs because of improper use, overuse, or trauma. There are two types of lumbar strain: acute and chronic. Acute lumbar strain means the pain it cause has been present only for days to a few weeks while it is considered chronic of it lasts for longer than three months.
3. Bony Encroachment
Bony encroachment results from movement in or growth of the vertebrae in the lumbar spine, thereby limiting the space for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves. This condition is one of the main lower back pain causes as it is caused by any of the following: Spondylolisthesis; Spinal stenosis and foraminal narrowing. The three above conditions cause sciatica pain with extreme pain radiating down to the lower extremities. Spinal stenosis is very painful especially when walking but this pain can relieved by resting. These conditions have different treatments depending on their severity. The treatments can be as simple as taking some rest or as complex as surgical decompression which involves bone removal.
4. Lumbar Radiculopathy
A type of nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy is a result of the damages in the discs along the vertebrae. This is usually caused by degeneration or wear and tear of the outer ring of the discs, traumatic injury, or even both. Because of these, the middle portion may rupture or be herniated through the outer ring of the disc and adjacent to the spinal column. The damage in this area causes sciatica pain that can be felt through the legs.
5. Joint and Bone Conditions
Joint and bone conditions are also common lower back pain causes. These conditions include congenital injury, degenerative injury, or injuries caused by the inflammation of joints (arthritis). Congenital injuries or bone conditions include spina bifida and scoliosis. Degenerative joint and bone conditions result from the changes in our body's cartilage. One of the common degenerative joint and bone conditions is called spondylosis, or the narrowing of the normal space between the vertebrae. Other joint and bone conditions include fractures and arthritis.
The abovementioned lower back pain causes are just a few of the many other causes of lower back pain. Consulting your doctor about any of the known lower back pain symptoms will greatly help you come up with a perfect treatment plan for your condition.
1. Irritation in the nerves
Irritation in the nerves is one of the known lower back pain causes. Patients with this condition experience extreme pain due to the irritation in their lumbar spine caused by diseases developing on the nerves' paths, which can affect the roots of the spinal cord up to the skin's surface. Different diseases caused by back pain, including nerve inflammation, bony encroachment and lumbar diseases are often associated with the irritation in the nerves.
2. Lumbar Strain
A lumbar strain is also one of most common lower back pain causes. It is the stretching injury to the tendons, ligaments of low back muscles. The incidents of stretching often lead to varying degrees of microscopic tears in these tissues. The injury occurs because of improper use, overuse, or trauma. There are two types of lumbar strain: acute and chronic. Acute lumbar strain means the pain it cause has been present only for days to a few weeks while it is considered chronic of it lasts for longer than three months.
3. Bony Encroachment
Bony encroachment results from movement in or growth of the vertebrae in the lumbar spine, thereby limiting the space for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves. This condition is one of the main lower back pain causes as it is caused by any of the following: Spondylolisthesis; Spinal stenosis and foraminal narrowing. The three above conditions cause sciatica pain with extreme pain radiating down to the lower extremities. Spinal stenosis is very painful especially when walking but this pain can relieved by resting. These conditions have different treatments depending on their severity. The treatments can be as simple as taking some rest or as complex as surgical decompression which involves bone removal.
4. Lumbar Radiculopathy
A type of nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy is a result of the damages in the discs along the vertebrae. This is usually caused by degeneration or wear and tear of the outer ring of the discs, traumatic injury, or even both. Because of these, the middle portion may rupture or be herniated through the outer ring of the disc and adjacent to the spinal column. The damage in this area causes sciatica pain that can be felt through the legs.
5. Joint and Bone Conditions
Joint and bone conditions are also common lower back pain causes. These conditions include congenital injury, degenerative injury, or injuries caused by the inflammation of joints (arthritis). Congenital injuries or bone conditions include spina bifida and scoliosis. Degenerative joint and bone conditions result from the changes in our body's cartilage. One of the common degenerative joint and bone conditions is called spondylosis, or the narrowing of the normal space between the vertebrae. Other joint and bone conditions include fractures and arthritis.
The abovementioned lower back pain causes are just a few of the many other causes of lower back pain. Consulting your doctor about any of the known lower back pain symptoms will greatly help you come up with a perfect treatment plan for your condition.
In : Back Pain Causes