LOWER BACK PAIN

If you injure parts of your back, you may feel pain. You may not remember the injury, but your back does, and the pain is trying to tell you something

Back pain is actually very common - about 80-90% of adults will experience back pain during their lifetime, especially low back pain. Most back pain comes from sprains and strains caused by stressful movements, and with a bit of professional attention, those will get better. Occasionally, back pain requires more demanding medical help and possibly even surgery. But remember, even severe pain may not require severe treatment, so always check with your doctor or physiotherapist

Back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is persistent, long-term pain - sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic pain can also have episodes of acute pain

Back pain comes in many forms. It may be sudden and sharp, or it may be dull. Pain may occur with movement, and it may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have numbness in your arms or legs. (Leg symptoms are often referred to as sciatica caused by a pinched nerve.)

It’s important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain persists and seek immediate attention if you have any of the emergency signs listed in the red box below

SIGNS YOU NEED TO SEE YOUR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL

Pain is getting significantly worse
Pain affects every day activities
Severe symptoms
Groin or leg weakness or numbness
Arm or hand weakness, tingling, or numbness
Loss of bowel or bladder control

There are a variety of reasons for back pain. To get the best treatment, you first need to know the origin of the problem

CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Variety of causes
Poor posture and poor body mechanics
Standing for long periods of time or sitting incorrectly can cause back pain
Engaging in certain sports often carries a risk of back injury
Low back pain is often associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, or awkward positions
You may even have a back injury and not know it until a stressful movement aggravates the condition
Uncommon but serious causes of back pain include infections, tumours, and fractures

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Don’t ignore back pain. Talk to your
physiotherapist if your pain persists

Here are some common causes of back pain:

BACK SPRAIN/STRAIN

A sudden fall, car crash, or sports injury can cause a sprain or strain, or even just lifting something too heavy. When a back injury occurs, muscles, ligaments, and tendons can become over-stretched, overused, or torn. Tissues can swell, causing pain, tenderness, and stiffness

OBESITY

Your spine caries a large portion of your weight. Being overweight puts pressure and stress on the back, especially the low back. Plus, carrying excess weight aggravates other health conditions such as osteoporosis (weak bones), osteoarthritis (joint pain), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease), degenerative disc disease (described below in the aging section), spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis

AGEING

Ligaments thicken and discs dry out with age. These age-related changes in the spine may lead to disorders that create pressure on your spinal nerves, meaning that you’ll have symptoms like pain, numbness, or weakness. Degenerative disc disease is an example of an age-related spinal disorder. Over time, your discs can lose their normal structure and function. That is just wear and tear, but it can result in a herniated disc (bulging out) and pain. Sometimes when there’s a tear, chemicals are released, and they can irritate the spinal nerves, causing a specific type of nerve pain (radiculopathy)