Lower Back Pain Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Free yourself from pain: effective treatment and rehabilitation for low back pain
Don’t limit yourself! Contact our qualified team at CURA Pain Clinic in NJ!We use modern methods to help you end lower back pain, regain mobility, and enjoy an active life.
Never Ignore a Back Pain
Its presence signals that the body is not okay. Back pain is divided into several areas:
Upper Body Pain (Cervical Spine and Collar Area)
Reasons are:
Cervical and Thoracic
Osteochondrosis
Cervical or Thoracic Hernia
Spinal Cord Injury
Lung Diseases such as
Pleuritis or Pneumonia
Lumbar Spine Pain
Reasons are:
Lumbar Osteochondrosis
Scoliosis or Kyphosis
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Bladder Problems (Urolithiasis)
Joint Pain
Reasons are:
Hip Arthrosis (Coxarthrosis)
Arthritis
Knee Arthrosis (Gonar throsis)
Gout
Rheum
Atoid Arthritis
Low Back Pain
Low Back Pain. It's about what?
Lower back pain is a common pain syndrome that many people complain of.
Muscle strain, injury, and inflammation of internal organs can be hidden by back pain.
It can also hide rheumatoid arthritis, spinal stenosis, herniated disc disease, or any other medical conditions.
Lower back pain has its gradation:
Sharp pain
Dull pain
Arching pain
The lumbar spine pain can be constant or floating (come and go). Sometimes, the pain can travel down the leg, causing a condition called sciatica.
Understanding the Anatomy of Severe Pain in the Spine
The Spinal Column and Its Impact
The spinal column is like a superhero – it gives our body structure and keeps our upper body in shape!
Think of the spinal column as your body’s cozy home for vertebrae, discs, and ligaments.
A haven for the spinal cord, relaying messages from the brain to the entire body!
A strong spine is essential to prevent many issues, including chronic low back pain. When stressors like heavy lifting or poor posture affect the lower back, it can become a source of pain.
The pain can vary from a constant, dull ache to sharp pain.
Causing pain can be debilitating, making it difficult to work or carry out everyday tasks.
This intricate structure also houses the nerves and roots. Which, when affected, can lead to symptoms like leg pain and weakness or other medical conditions.
Caring for your spine is vital to lower the risk of muscle strain, neurological disorders, and chronic conditions. This ensures your spine functions, keeping you in top form.
Exploring the Significance of Nerves in Unraveling
The spinal nerves contribute to low back pain in a few ways:
The nerves can become compressed, or pinched, by a herniated disc, bone spur, or other structure. This can cause symptoms like pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the legs or feet.
Inflammatory conditions like arthritis or disc disease can bother the nerves. This can cause symptoms like aching, burning, and shooting pain in the legs.
Conditions like sciatica and radiculopathy can also affect the nerves in some cases.
The sciatic nerve gets squeezed or irritated, causing sciatica. It runs from your lower back down your leg.
Radiculopathy occurs when a nerve root in the spine gets compressed or damaged.
The Spinal Stenosis and Its Role
Spinal stenosis is a condition in which the spaces in the spine become narrowed.
The spinal canal narrows. It can lead to symptoms like chronic lower back pain and leg pain.
As the canal tightens, it exerts pressure on the spinal nerves and nerve roots. Leading to a persistent, dull ache or even stabbing pain.
Aging, wear on spinal bones, or conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can cause compression.
Leg weakness and mobility issues may happen due to nerve function impact.
Understanding spinal stenosis is crucial. It helps address the root causes of back pain.
Managing weight, and adjusting lifestyle can help. Professional physical therapy can relieve symptoms. It improves the health of your entire spine.
Degenerative DISC Disease: Unveiling Another Contributor
Wear and tear on spinal discs reduce their ability to cushion vertebrae, causing discomfort and increasing back pain.
Over time, this can lead to conditions like degenerative disc disease, causing pain and stiffness.
Physical therapy is like a guide for your body. It uses physical exercises and stretches.
It boosts flexibility, strengthens muscles, and eases pressure on spinal discs.
It's like a workout tailored to help you feel better.
These targeted actions can help manage discomfort and improve spinal health.
Kidney Stones and Lower Back Pain Symptoms
If kidney stones cause a blockage in the urinary tract, they may be a reason for low back pain. It can cause obstruction, which causes urine to accumulate in the kidneys.
This can stretch the kidney capsules and press on nerve endings, causing lower back pain.
A Herniated DISC and It’s Sign
A herniated disk is a process in which the soft material inside a spinal disc leaks out. It can irritate nearby nerves and cause intense pain.
Herniated discs are more common in the lower back but can also occur in the neck. The pain can vary, depending on where it’s located and how severe the herniation is.
Weight Gain and It’s Impact
One of the regular reasons for back pain nowadays is weight gain. In the United States, excess weight is a severe problem.
By TFAH statistics almost 42% of adults are obese.
Excess weight raises the risk of lower back pain and can worsen existing pain.
The extra weight puts more stress on the spine, which can cause the discs to degenerate more fast. It can also cause the muscles and ligaments in the back to become strained.
Excess weight strains and stretches the abdominal muscles. It can cause the internal organs to shift and press on the spine, leading to more pain and a loss of mobility.
Losing weight can help to reduce the pressure on the spine and relieve acute back pain. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Symptoms
and Treatments
for Low Back Pain
Understanding lower back pain symptoms is crucial for early detection and intervention. We will explore the range of symptoms and their implications. The main symptoms of low back pain include:
- Dull or Aching Pain in the Lower Back
- Acute Back Pain
- Shooting Pain Radiates Down the Legs
- Numbness or Tingling in the Lower Back or Legs
- Leg Weakness
- Pain Occurs When Sitting or Standing for Long Periods
- Difficulty Bending or Twisting the Body
- Pain at Night or First in the Morning
Back Pain
Back Pain Treatment. What Will Be First?
The treatment for the lumbar spine depends on what's pushing it and how intense it is.
The first thing you need to do is to have a physical exam and determine the level of back pain by a pain fact sheet.
Based on the results of the exam, our physical therapist may order you for some tests.
It might be:
a general or biochemical blood tests
a general or biochemical urinalysis
MRI
X-ray
etc
Order blood tests will show possible inflammatory and rheumatic processes in your body.
Which helps to see the more clear picture of the disease.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will show the reason for lower back pain.
Show any protrusions, disc displacements, impingement of spinal nerve root, and facet joints.
The X-ray will show us all your bonces and possible damages of it. Which might cause this back pain.
Common Options for Your Healthy Back
We want to share with you some common treatment options
Conservative:
- Limited bed rest may be recommended for acute cases
- Pain medications can help manage severe back pain and reduce inflammation
- Exercise in physical therapy improves flexibility and supports lumbar spine muscles
- Heat and cold therapy can provide temporary pain relief
- Massage therapy can help relax muscles and improve blood flow in the affected area
Medical Interventions:
- In severe cases, doctors may specify prescription drugs like muscle relaxants or opioids
- Epidural injections can help reduce inflammatory conditions and relieve back pain
- Surgery may be necessary for herniated discs or spinal stenosis.
A herniated disc is a condition in which there is a protrusion of the intervertebral disc between the vertebral bodies.
Intervertebral discs are shock absorbers, that hold adjacent vertebrae together and provide mobility.
Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal of the lumbar spine. It causes compression of individual nerve fibers, nerve roots, and spinal cord.
Lifestyle Changes for Health and Less Lower Back Pain:
- Keeping a healthy weight decreases the muscle strain on the back
- Yoga, stretching, and somatic exercises strengthen muscles and provide weight loss
- Maintain good posture and use ergonomic practices to minimize lower back muscle strain.
- Meditation and relaxation can relieve low back pain from stress-related muscle strains.
Alternative Therapies
- Acupuncture and spinal manipulation lower the risk factors of chronic lower back pain.
- Chiropractic adjustments relieve low back pain by improving spinal alignment.
