Possible Causes of Lower Back Pain to Consider

There are various factors that can lead to lower back pain, including;

• An imbalance in the body mechanics


• Psychological factors


• Secondary response to a disease or condition somewhere else in the body


• Soft tissue and muscle injury, and


• Inflammation and structural problems of the back

Most patients with chronic low back pain lack an identifiable pathological structure that can explain the pain.

Causes of back pain are categorized into various groups based on the source of the problem. They include:

MECHANICAL CAUSES

These causes of pain in the lower back arise due to either functional or anatomical abnormalities of the spine.

For example;

-Muscle Strain

About 70% of acute back pain cases relate to injury or over-use of ligaments, muscles and tendons that bind and support the spine.

-Osteoarthritis

This condition is common in the elderly and occurs when cartilage in the disks or moving joints of the spine are damaged.

-Spinal Stenosis

Like osteoarthritis, this condition is common in the elderly and occurs when the spinal canal becomes narrow. This can be as a result of degenerative disease of the spine or bulging discs, which provide cushioning between the bones.

-Discogenic Disk Disease

This may occur as a result of drying and thinning of discs and can lead to nerve irritation.

-Spondylolisthesis

This is a condition where one vertebra slips over another. If it occurs in patients with Osteoarthritis, the condition becomes worse.

-Vertebral Fractures

Compressional fractures caused by osteoporosis, or sustained in an accident which results in impact to the lower back area.

-Congenital diseases

This is a condition where a patient has an abnormal curvature of the pain leading to chronic pain.

NON-MECHANICAL PHYSICAL CAUSES

There are a few cases of low back pain that are caused by diseases that affect other parts of the body. Although these causes are few, it is good to know them. They include:

-Ankylosing Spondylitis

This is a hereditary disease that can cause the spinal vertebrae to fuse over time. It is a result of chronic inflammation of the spine.

-Neoplasm

An abnormal mass of cells with the potential to become cancerous, although this condition is not common.

-Infections

Bacterial and viral infections of the vertebral bodies can cause pain. Pain can originate from the infection in the bone, spinal discs or in the spinal cord.

-Atherosclerosis

Hardening of the large arteries that run in front of the spine may be one of the causes of lower back pain.

-Diseases of the Viscera

Infections in organs like the uterus, pelvis, kidney, pancreas among other organs can cause pain that may be experienced in the lower back.

NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS

Some spinal disorders can injure the nerve roots originating from the spinal cord. Severe injury to nerve roots can cause numbness to both legs, along with bladder and bowel problems.

BIO-MECHANICAL CAUSES

Poor seating posture and movement patterns can lead to low back pain.

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAUSES

Depression, stress, anxiety and lack of effective coping strategies can worsen lower back pain.

The pain can cause stress which ends up aggravating the existing pain, thus producing more anxiety - and so the vicious circle continues.

Identifying the causes of lower back pain can be difficult, but once you know what you're dealing with, life can become a lot easier.