Read this article till the end to know all the causes of back pain and if you have any of these symptoms, you can always talk to our doctors for FREE!
The back of human is made of a complex structures of muscles, ligaments, tendons, disks and bones, which work together to support the body. Pain in the lower back may arise if spine, muscles, nerves or other structures in that region get affected due to repeated heavy lifting, sudden strain and back injuries.
Let’s discuss the causes and symptoms of back pain:
Patients experience sciatica pain when the nerve named sciatic nerve gets irritated. Sciatic nerve begins in spinal cord, goes through hips and buttocks and branches down in each leg.
Symptoms:
Pain of sciatica is experienced at lower back, buttocks and legs. Patient feels excruciating pain with weakness and numbness. Also there is painful tingling in toes or feet. Pain gets worse with movement.
Causes:
• Herniated disk
• Spinal stenosis
• Spondylolisthesis
• Piriformis syndrome
Spinal bones are cushioned by disks. Disk absorbs the shock while walking, lifting weight and thereby protects the bones of spinal cord. Disk has two parts- inner part is soft and gelatinous; outer part is tough. Weakness or injury causes protrusion of inner part through outer part. This slipped disk causes pain. If the slipped disk puts pressure on the any of the spinal nerve then pain is experienced along the root of the nerve.
Symptoms:
• Pain and numbness on one side of body.
• Pain extends to arms or legs.
• Pain worsens at night, after standing or sitting, walking short distances.
• Muscle weakness.
• Tingling or burning sensation in the affected area.
Causes:
• It is a normal ageing process.
• Lifting heavy objects.
• Being overweight increases the risk of having slip disk.
• Sedentary lifestyle
Sprain and strain occurs as a result of injury to a body due to physical activity. Sprain and strain occurs very commonly. These injuries may range from minor to severe. Minor injuries do not require medical attention.
Symptoms:
• Sprains: Ligaments connect bone to bone, when ligaments gets affected pain occurs at joint.
• Strains: Muscles and tendons connect muscle to bone. When muscle or tendon gets affected pain is experienced in calf, thigh or groin.
Causes:
Sprains:
• When joint gets twisted while bearing weight.
• Falling off from a height.
• When ligament is stretched.
• When ligament gets ruptured.
Strains:
• When muscle is stretched due to weight lifting, working beyond physical ability, overuse of muscle.
Kidney stone causes most painful condition. Stones originate in the kidney but can be found anywhere in the urinary tract.
Symptoms:
• Pain is felt in one side of back. Pain is very intense and it comes and goes. Patient becomes very restless.
• Blood in urine.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Foul smell in urine.
• Fever with chills.
Causes:
• Decreased water intake.
• Gout.
• Inflammatory bowel diseases.
• Family history.
In spinal stenosis spinal bones starts becoming narrow and compresses the spinal cord. Minimum compression does not produce any symptoms. Symptoms occur when too much compression presses the nerve.
Symptoms:
• Lower back pain with standing or walking.
• Numbness in legs or buttocks.
• Weakness in arms or legs.
• Problems in balance.
Causes:
• Ageing.
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
Normal bone has an inner small space that resembles honeycomb. In osteoporosis these small spaces increases in size that results in loss of bone strength ad density. Bone becomes weak and thin.
Symptoms:
# In early stages of bone loss there are no sign and symptoms.
• Back pain caused by fracture or collapsed vertebra.
• Loss of height with time.
• Stooped posture.
• Easy bone fracture.
Causes:
• Age: Normally bones are in constant state of renewal i.e. new bone is made and old bone is broken. In young age, bone mass is made faster than it is lost. As a person age this process is reversed i.e. bone mass is lost faster than it is created.
• Poor nutrition.
• Smoking.
• Physical inactivity.
• Certain medications.
Inflammation, irritation and collection of infected material i.e. pus, in or around the spinal cord is called spinal cord abscess.
Symptoms:
• Severe back pain.
• Low back ache, starts as a mild pain and slowly becomes worse.
• Pain moves to hip, leg or feet.
• Pain may move to shoulder, arm or hand.
• Movement of body below the abscess is restricted.
• Loss of sensation of an area of the body below the abscess.
• Fever with chill.
Causes:
• Infection inside the spine.
Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that affects spine. In Ankylosing spondylitis inflammation of vertebra occurs resulting in chronic pain and stiffness. Other large may get affected such as shoulder, knee or hip, cartilages between breastbone and ribs.
Symptoms:
• Pain in lower back and hips.
• Stiffness: in morning or after long period of inactivity.
Cause:
Cause of Ankylosing spondylitis is unknown.
Prostate is a small gland that is located under the urinary bladder in men. Inflammation of prostate gland is called prostatitis.
Symptoms:
• Low back pain.
• Difficulty in urination.
• Pain in urinary bladder.
Causes:
• Bacterial infection.
• Immune system disorder.
• Injury to prostate or prostate area.
• Nervous system disorder.
