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The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments,
strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to back pain. While sports
injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a
pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture, obesity, and
psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of
the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone loss.
A few interesting facts about back pain:
- One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
- Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
- Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis, infection, fracture or cancer.
- Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
- Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.
Injury
Pain from injury to the muscles or ligaments of the back is usually confined to the back, and depending on the cause may or may not be aggravated by bending the back.
Inactivity and the wrong sort of movement are usually at the root of 'simple back pain'. Inactivity makes the muscles go slack, and become unable to support the back properly. This means it is more vulnerable to damage when certain movements pull too much on one area of your back.
Usually, the problem is due to a strain or tear to the muscles, tendons or ligaments around the lower spine. In turn, this can produce painful muscle tension and spasm. Even a minor problem can cause a lot of pain when you stand, bend or move around. Pain sometimes comes on suddenly, sometimes gradually, but usually it only lasts a few days or a week.
Some of the commonest causes of stress and strain on the spine are:
- slouching in chairs
- driving in hunched positions
- standing badly
- lifting incorrectly
- sleeping on sagging mattresses
- being unfit, and
- generally overdoing it
Disc problems
People who have a back problem often talk about having a 'slipped disc'. But disc problems are actually not common - and never happen because the disc has 'slipped'. It has usually torn and become distorted ('prolapsed' or 'herniated') so that it presses against sensitive nerves from the spinal cord.
Sciatica
Sciatica is the name given to pains running down the leg because the sciatic nerve from the spinal cord has been pinched or irritated by damage to the back - sometimes a prolapsed disc.
Facet joint problems
Spine movement is made possible by joints between the vertebrae consisting of two flat faces or facets on the bone. If these degenerate, the two halves of the joint grate painfully against each other.
Diseases that can cause back pain
Some diseases can contribute to back pain and are likely to need long-term treatment. But they're far less common than minor damage to the back's muscles and ligaments. It's a good idea to visit your GP if your back pain doesn't go away after a week or so.
- Osteoarthritis is a long-term degeneration of the joints, which makes them less able to withstand stress. It's a wear-and-tear problem that affects most of us as we get older and which can give rise to pain in some cases.
- Inflammatory joint diseases come in a variety of forms (e.g. ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis) that cause joints to become inflamed and seize up. These diseases can either directly affect the joints in the back, or cause problems with other joints that lead to pain in the back.
- Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak so they fracture easily. The bones of the back and neck are often affected and can become compressed. This is particularly common in women who are post-menopause and can be influenced by diet and hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
- Spinal Stenosis (the condition in which the spinal canal is narrowed and the area in the spine where the nerves pass through may be tight) is often felt in both legs as well, particularly when walking. It is sometimes improved when bending forward.
Other Conditions
Not all causes of back pain are due to problems in the spine. Other causes include:
- Kidney and urinary tract infections
- Kidney stones
- Peptic ulcers
- Disorders of the pancreas
- Problems with the hip
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