Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common complaints due to which people get absent from work or seek medical help. Unfortunately, sometimes this pain is severe and worsens with time in most cases. Back pain can range from a muscle aching to shooting or burning sensations in the lower body.

What causes back pain?

Back pain results from injury, activity, and some medical conditions. Given below are the causes of back pain as recognized by the experts:

Strain

Strain is the most obvious factor that gives rise to back pain. Strain can be a result of repeated heavy lifting or an abrupt awkward movement. Over-activity can also strain back muscles and spinal ligaments.

Poor posture

Many times back pain is caused due to everyday activities and poor posture. Such activities include working out too much, prolonged sitting or lying down, sleeping in an uncomfortable position, or wearing a poorly fitting backpack.

Herniated Discs

The spine is made of interlocked vertebrae with interbody discs. Herniated or ruptured discs often result in severe back pain. Though herniated discs can happen in any part of the spine, they are most common in the lower part of the backbone.

Degenerative Changes

Degenerative changes in the spine refer to the osteoarthritis of the spine. It occurs when the cushioning of the spine begins to wear away due to overuse. It is most common in older adults.

Medical problems

Several medical conditions such as kidney and spine infections and sleep disorders also contribute to back pain.

Diagnosis for back pain

Physical examination: After studying the symptoms and medical history, a physical examination of the patient is performed. During the physical test, the doctor examines your back and assesses your ability to sit, stand, walk, and left your legs. It is done to understand better the muscle strength, reflexes, and neurological condition of the patient.

Imaging studies: When a specific condition is suspected of giving rise to back pain, imaging studies narrow down the cause. Given below are some of the imaging technologies:

MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging)– MRI scans use magnetic fields to generate detailed images of bones and soft tissues like muscles, ligaments, or intervertebral discs.

X-ray: X-rays use electromagnetic radiation to show a good picture of the back’s bone. Plain x-rays can’t detect herniated discs, but they can reveal areas in your back where bone spurs or other degenerative changes might pinch your nerves or spinal cord.

CT (Computerized tomography) Scan: These are used to generate more detailed pictures of the spinal column by taking a series of x-rays from different directions and combining them to create cross-sectional images.

BMD Dexa scan: A DEXA scan is used to measure bone density. It can provide helpful details about your risk for osteoporosis (bone loss) and fractures.

Blood tests: Blood and urine tests can help determine the underlying conditions, such as inflammation and infection, causing back pain.

Bone scan: A bone scan is performed in rare cases to look for abnormalities, such as tumors in bone tissue.

Risk factors associated with back pain

Given below are the factors that might put you at greater risk of developing back pain:

• Age: The risk of having back pain increases with age. According to studies, it is more common in people who are more than 30 years old.
• Improper lifting techniques: Back pain can occur if you use your back instead of your legs to lift weights.
• Excess weight: Excess body weight, which puts extra pressure on the back, can also cause back pain.
• Pregnancy: Pregnant women often tend to suffer from pain in the back.
• Poor physical fitness: One of the leading risk factors that could potentially expose you to back pain is the lack of physical activity. Lack of exercise weakens the abdomen and back muscles.
• Diseases: Medical issues such as osteoporosis and arthritis often cause back pain.
• Smoking: It is found that the risk of developing back pain increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day.

When to see your doctor?

According to studies, 90 percent of back pain gets better within six months, and they can be cured with some exercise and painkillers. But if it doesn’t, there may be a more serious underlying cause behind it. Given below are the symptoms associated with back pain that should prompt you to immediate medical attention;

• Very severe pain that doesn’t go away with rest
• Swelling on the back
• Loss of sensation in the legs
• Pain when urinating
• Radicular leg pain
• Weakness, numbness, or tingling in legs 
• Loss of control over bowel movements
• Fever and weight loss

Back Pain Treatment

The following treatment methods are provided and advised to the patients with back pain:

Medications

Back pain can be cured by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen. Other prescribed medications include topical rubs, ointments, opioids, muscle relaxants, and epidural steroid injections. 

Physical Therapy

Given below are the therapies that often work for a patient with back pain:

• Acupuncture: Acupuncture is considered a successful therapy for chronic back pain. It applies to either lower or upper back pain. This therapy works by maintaining the healthy flow of your body’s energy force to relieve the pain.
• Massage: Massages may be useful when it comes to ease short-term lower back pain. They help in muscle relaxation and reduce pain and inflammation. Shiatsu massage is considered to be very effective for lower back pain.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) involves placing electrodes on your skin near the painful areas to deliver small amounts of electrical stimulation that may eliminate pain.

Rehab

The term ‘Rehab’ is most commonly used to refer to residential drug rehabilitation. Rehab is a process designed to help a person recover from illness of back pain. It may include physical therapy, group counseling, or drug treatment. If you get rehab when your back problems first show up, you might be able to avoid surgery.

Surgery

Surgeries for back pain are usually recommended in case of those structural abnormalities which don’t respond to the medications and therapies. The surgeries aim to cure symptoms such as numbness and persistent pain in the legs caused by stressed nerves in the spine. These decompression surgeries work by removing a bone spur or a herniated portion of the disc that presses on the nerve root from the spinal column. Given below are some decompression surgeries that are performed for back pain treatment:

Laminectomy:

A laminectomy is most commonly performed to treat lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms. However, it is also done when nerve damage symptoms accompany the pain. Laminectomy involves a small incision to create an opening in the lamina (vertebral arch) to relieve pressure on your nerve roots.

Microdiscectomy:

Microdiscectomy or Discectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure performed on patients with a herniated disc. This surgery involves first making a small incision at the level of the disk herniation. Then the surgeon removes the portions of the herniated disc to relieve pressure on the spinal nerve column.