What's Causing Your Back Pain?
Lower back pain is one of the nation's leading forms of chronic pain in around 80 percent of the population, at least at one point in their lives. Luckily for those who fall into the 80 percent, the pain they feel is usually resolved without specific treatment, thanks to the body's ability to heal itself accordingly. However, back pain can sometimes indicates a serious issue that requires medical attention. It may also become chronic if not properly dealt with, which can have a lasting impact on your ability to function.
Preventing back pain is very important, as the condition of the back, spine, neck and surrounding joints, is a great indicator of the condition of overall health. Here are some of the leading causes of back pain:
Obesity doesn’t technically count as a direct cause for back pain, however it is a risk factor for back pain. Being obese greatly increases the chances of severe back pain, as the body can only support a certain amount of weight, depending on the frame of an individual. If you carry extra body fat, eliminating it should be your primary goal whether you have back pain or not, as its detrimental effects on health extend way beyond back pain.
Life has a funny way of delivering things to us that we least expect. Back injuries can, and often do occur when we least expect it. Sprains, strains, bumps and bruises are known as musculoskeletal back injuries, and are very common and may result from even the most routine everyday activities. A muscle or ligament injury is often accompanied by severe spasms, which can cause extreme pain. Recovery time varies considerably from person to person. Keeping the body healthy through diet and exercise, particularly the core, can help to strengthen the back and decrease the chances of these types of injuries.
The bones of the spine are separated by disks, which are put in place to cushion the vertebrae, and act as shock absorbers for the spine itself. Disk degeneration can cause low back pain, when this occurs it means that the outer ring of a disk is damaged, the insides can slip out and press on the nerves as they exit the spine. If this happens, it can be quite painful and very dangerous. Often causing pain that runs down the leg, known as radiculopathy.
Aging is the primary cause of disk degeneration, as well as certain forms of constant activity (think professional athletes) but smoking raises the risk of disk injury too, which many people are not aware of. Regular chiropractic care and check ups with a doctor of chiropractic can help to greatly diminish the risk of any of these back issues.
Consult your primary care physician or chiropractor for any medical related advice.
