4 Possible Reasons Your Back Hurts
9/29/2014
Back pain is a common condition with a variety of causes.
Eighty percent of people experience the moderate throb or acute stab of back pain during their lives, according to the National Institutes of Health. If you’re a (reluctant) member of the back pain club, it’s likely that an age- or overuse-related mechanical problem is causing the trouble. More than 60 conditions are linked with back discomfort, according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).
Common causes of aching backs include:
- disk problems, such as age-related deterioration or herniations (abnormal movements or protrusions)
- spinal stenosis, a condition that constricts the area around the spinal cord
- spondylolisthesis, excessive shifting of the vertebrae that can irritate nerves
- strains that result from repetitive or awkward movement
Your doctor can help get to the bottom of your back pain. Take heart from this ACR statistic: Ninety percent of low back pain goes away within two months.
A Prevention and Treatment Primer
If you’re back pain-free, strengthen your body against future discomfort by combining back- and core muscle-bolstering exercises with aerobic activities on most days of the week. Exercising and eating a healthful diet can help ensure you get adequate calcium and vitamin D for bone health and will help you keep off extra weight, another important component of prevention. Be mindful of how you sit and stand — substitute slouching for a straight back.
The best treatments for acute back pain, which typically results from injury, are avoiding the activity that led to pain and taking over-the-counter pain relievers, if necessary. Back pain that persists for more than three months is considered chronic and typically warrants consulting with a doctor. He or she may recommend a variety of treatments, including exercise, pain management and prescription medication. Surgery to repair damage in the spine may be an option if conservative treatments fail to relieve pain.
If you have back pain that comes and goes, radiates down your leg and causes numbness, persistently flares up when you move, or simply keeps you from living your life to the fullest, speak with your doctor about finding relief. If you don’t already have a physician,
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Remember that this information is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor, but rather to increase awareness and help equip patients with information and facilitate conversations with your physician that will benefit your health.
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