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.

I Have A Pulled Muscle in My Lower Back! - Secrets to Pain Relief Revealed - Special Report

How is your lower back doing lately?

Do you ever suffer from lumbar pain that is really starting to hold you back?

1.) Introduction

Pain relief can be yours. This article is meant to give you some simple steps to help you if you have a pulled muscle or a herniated disc in your lower back. We are not here to waste your time. So, let's get down to business... If it is about time that you got rid of your lower back pain, then it is time that you read this article.

2.) Two Main Causes of Lower Back Pain

A.) A Pulled Muscle: This can happen as a result of a sudden twist or improper body mechanics when you sit or lift things. When you pull a muscle, many people equate this to be the same as a muscle strain. A muscle strain is the overstretching of a muscle and if you stretch it too far, you could end up tearing some of the muscle fibers. Either way, this can add up to some severe pain that will need to be dealt with.

B.) A Herniated Disc: If you have ever researched about the side effects of a herniated disc, you might know that they can press on nerve roots in your spine. When this occurs you can get pain, tingling or a numbness in your extremities. Pain often result in the lumbar or sacral spine and this can be unbearable by most people's accounts.

3.) A Great Way to Deal With The Pain!

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you have injured your lower back is to use a quality back support. These supports are very effective in helping to off load your lumbar spine. What does this mean to you? - Pain relief and an overall sense of security in your lumbar and sacral spine. These braces can easily be hidden with the use of a t-shirt and can be instrumental at helping you to promote healing for a herniated disc or pulled muscle.

Moreover, a low back support can also help to you to keep your posture in good alignment. These braces will feel like they are giving your mid-section a hug and this can make all the difference in the world to people who have lower back pain. Proper posture can also help promote healing when you have pulled a muscle or herniated a disc in your lower back.

*This is health information. We have seen lower back braces help hundreds, if not thousands of people, but we do have to tell you to consult with your physician about medical advice. They may very well request that you get a back support, but this article is not meant to subplant the medical advice of your physician for your unique situation.

Lower Back Pain Causes And What Can Be Done About Them

Much like back pain in general, there can be many different causes such as muscle strain, trauma, and poor body mechanics such as poor posture. The difference with lower back pain, however, is that the central point for the pain is specifically located in the lower regions of the spine. Due to the more specific location of the pain, the causes of the pain can be easier to pinpoint.

As general back problems can be caused by many different factors that can range from stress to damaged discs in the spine to diseases, it is most commonly caused by muscle strains. Understanding lower back pain causes is crucial to proper treatment which leads to speedy and relatively less painless recovery. A good way to understand the many different causes is to have a chat with your doctor about your daily activities and how they may affect your spine.

So what can cause lumbar muscle strain? As with general back problems, lower back pain causes can include abnormal or exorbitant stretching of muscles, ligaments, or tendons in the back. Other than that, poor conditioning may also lead to back problems. What exactly is meant by poor conditioning? A good rule of thumb is general unhealthiness, such as, obesity and smoking. Obesity is a huge problem for lower back issues as the spine is supported by large muscles known as the paraspinal muscles, which support both the spinal column as well as the weight of the upper body. Hence, those with heavier than average upper bodies put much greater strains on the paraspinal muscles.

A good way to combat this would be to strengthen the muscles around the lower back so that they may aid the five lumbar vertebrae and its connective ligaments in the lower spinal column in carrying the weight of the upper body. A strong lower back is an excellent weapon against lower back problems.

As with general back problems, lower back pain causes can also be exacerbated by age. Arthritis commonly occurs in joints such as the knees; however, arthritis can affect any joint in the body. The spine is made up of many small joints; therefore, arthritis can also occur in the lumbar spine. Arthritis of the spine can cause lower back problems with movement. Lumbar spine arthritis usually occurs with other spinal conditions such as disc degeneration and spinal stenosis. The discs of the lumbar spine can wear out with age, which can be exacerbated as the facet joints are worn out by arthritis.

In addition, as arthritis progresses, symptoms of spinal stenosis can arise as the nerves of the spine become pinched. Some symptoms of spinal stenosis include numbness, tingling, and leg pain which can lead to difficulty in walking. It is important to seek medical help if any of these symptoms arise. Contrary to popular belief, the problem is not "healed" by rest. Talk to your doctor about the many different lower back pain causes because the spine should never be ignored.

Lower Back Pain Relief - How Icing Increases Recovery

When an acute episode of lower back pain occurs, ice is the first line of defense to help reduce your pain. An episode could be a slip and fall, car accident, sudden twist, or picking up something heavy that immediately causes lower back pain. Please note, if you have been in an accident, get checked by a physician, but if you have been cleared by medical personnel, ice should be the first agent you put on your back for the first 48 hours.

Ice will cause the blood vessels in the area surrounding the injury to vasocontrict. That means that the blood vessels will close down and reduce the blood flow to the area. Vasoconstriction is important because the body's initial reaction to pain, stress, and trauma to an area is inflammation. Ice will help reduce inflammation. Inflammation decreases range of motion and also causes joints to have decreased movement.

Ice should not be applied directly to the skin. Rather it should be placed in a in a towel, paper towel, pillow case, etc in order to prevent frostbite or irritation to the skin. After an injury, you should ice 10 minutes every hour to every other hour.

Icing with frequency will allow for sufficient vasoconstriction in the area in pain. You do not need to exceed more than 10-15 minutes per session. In addition it is not advisable to fall asleep with ice on an area. For maximum effectiveness, keep your icing sessions to 10-15 minutes. Anything longer and you run the risk of giving yourself frostbite.

If your pain is the result of a twisting incident, you may want to ice your gluts as well because rotational movements are generated from your gluts and when they are irritated, they can cause lower back pain.

The last key point to consider while icing for the reduction of your lower back pain is posture or position. If you have injured your lower back, it is best to lie on your stomach with a pillow under your stomach and have the ice pack on your back.

You can also sit in a chair and place the ice between your back and the chair. It is not advisable to lie on the ice because it can create additional unneeded stress to the spine.

The quicker and more frequently you apply ice to the affected area, the sooner and shorter your recovery. As mentioned in the beginning of the article, icing is your first defense.

In our next article, we will discuss the second line of defense that should be applied concurrent with the icing routing that will promote increased healing.

Lower Back Exercises - Your Keys to Love Handle Reduction and Back Pain Prevention

The lower back is often a concerning injury prone area for many people, and a lot of the problems are due to a weakness of the core, particularly the lower back muscles. In men particularly, fat has a tendency to gather as 'love handles' around the lower abdomen, and lower back areas. This is a very good indication that there is not much muscle in that area, since if there was a lot of muscle, fat would be a lot less likely to build up in that area, due to the muscles requirement for calories for energy.

Don't misunderstand - you cannot just build up your core by itself, and do no other exercises and expect the fat in the midriff to disappear - it won't, simply because there needs to be a demand for calories from the whole body, so that it then takes that energy from the localized area around the core. Let me illustrate - how many people have you seen with massively muscular limbs that are also very fat? It doesn't happen - the fact simply collects in places where the demand is lower.

Our sedentary lives do not require us to use our core and lower body generally, and due to this fact, we build up fat in these areas, as well as creating problems such as back aches, pinched nerves, slipped disks and other debilitating injuries that may be avoided with a muscular core from using lower back exercises and core exercises.

In conjunction with an effective lean muscle-building program, using whole body workouts, plenty of compound exercises, a good diet and high intensity, performing lower back exercises and core exercises will really burn away the fat in that area. Strengthening this area of your body will also mean that you will find day-to-day tasks much easier, and you may also feel as though you have a lot more energy, because these muscles do not fatigue quite as easily.

You can focus in this area if it is particularly weak, but once it becomes stronger, you must target it as part of full body workouts, rather than trying to isolate the area. In this way, all the supporting muscles get a chance to become equally as strong, and any functional movement can then become easier.

Before we get into some suggestions for lower back exercises - you should go and see a chiropractor if you have problems in this area, as your spine may also be out of alignment due to the weakness, and you would not want to cause any damage, and seeing such a professional is likely to make you feel much better and lead to long-term solutions. We will assume here that you do not have chronic pain, because if you do, it is better than you see a chiropractor or medical professional to ask advice.

So what sorts of lower back exercises can you do that will strengthen your back and core?

• Bridge where you lie on your back with your feet on the floor, and push your hips up in the air until your hamstrings and abdomen form a straight line. Hold this position if you can do


• Plank - Toes and hands in contact with the floor, in a push up position, hold for as long as you can, with your back straight, and your abdominal muscles tight and pulled in. Your back should not sag as you do this. If this is too hard try dropping to your elbows - the exercise should be performed in exactly the same way


• Side Plant - Lie on your side, with your elbow and forearm on the floor, your feet together, and the side of one foot on the floor. Straighten your body so that it forms a straight line from foot to shoulder, and hold. Perform a few holds, and repeat for the other side of the body, on the opposite elbow and foot


• Knee to elbow plank - This is a more advanced version of the above. Hold the plank in a push up position, then move your right knee to your left elbow, touch and back to the start position. Swap to the left knee, and right elbow. Do this exercise as fast as you are able, and make sure that your back stays strong - you can slightly stick your butt up for this one, as that will also engage the abdominal muscles a little more


• Prone Cobras - Laying on your stomach, with your arms above your head, slowly lift your head and bend back, as your simultaneously move your hands back, keeping your arms straight, so that you end up in something like a crucifix position on your front, but with your arms as far back as you are able and your back arched and shoulders up and back


• Bicycle crunches - make bicycle movements with your legs, as your upper body turns first left, elbow touching right leg, then right elbow touching left leg. This is a great exercise that will increase your strength in your oblique muscles as well as your abdominal muscles too


• Resistance band rotation - Using a resistance band held on the left on your body, rotate your trunk to the right with your arms straight holding the resistance band handle. Perform sets for both sides of the body


• Straight legged deadlift - with your legs straight, hold onto a barbell or dumbbells, with the weight at your shins, keeping the weights in contact with the shins, slide upward, keeping the back stretched, and the abdominal muscles tight. This is likely to be uncomfortable if you are arching your back - aim to stick your butt out as this will help you to keep your back straight and avoid the discomfort


• Deadlifts - This is a generally great exercise to be able to do once you have strength in your lower back. Do not attempt to do this exercise if your feel discomfort in your lower back. It means that you are probably arching your back - instead strengthen your back with the other lower back exercises, particularly the stiff-legged deadlift, until this becomes comfortable, as your back is able to stay straight.

Having a strong lower back through lower back exercises is going to benefit in a large number of ways, including reducing injury, preventing back aches, reducing the risk of spinal injury, as well as giving you more energy and potentially a lower body fat percentage. The additional stability gained in the core is really going to benefit you if you wish to continue training, and build lean muscle, and get six-pack abdominal muscles.

Lower Back Pain - Causes And Treatment Procedures Explained

Have you been suffering from lower back pain and have tried out everything that is possible either through medication or by exercising to get rid of that pain which has been bothering you for sometime now? It's time that you met your doctor to find out the cause for your lower back pain. Lower back pain can be due to muscle sprains or for any other reason. It is not easy to find out what exactly is causing the pain as an x-ray or MRI scan is not effective in showing up the problem. It could be due to a slight misalignment of a spinal bone which is causing back spine and goes unnoticed.

A series of tests is done by the doctor to eliminate possible causes for the pain at the lower back. The doctor would manipulate your leg movements to see the extent of the pain which can result in other parts of the body too. Almost everyone is familiar with the reflex test while the doctor may also do some other unfamiliar tests. Further tests are determined by the doctor after he or she feels a need for one to determine the exact cause for back pain.

The doctor may also use high tech gadgets for testing which will provide a detailed report about the spine and its surrounding muscles and ligaments and any problems associated with them. X-rays do not help to identify the pain which may be due to damage to muscle, tendon, ligament or nerve in your spine.

MRI scan gives complete details about the condition of every part of your back inclusive of the nerves and discs and so helps the doctor to find out the causes for your lower back pain easily. The causes for lower back pain are numerous and MRI is an excellent way to diagnose pain. CAT scan or disc gram is other methods used to locate pain. IN a disc gram a dye is injected into the spinal discs to determine the source of pain.

There are many causes for back pain like herniated disc, pinched nerves, muscles that are strained, tumor of the spine, diseases which are degenerative, infections, arthritis, Osteoporosis and fractures. These problems can go unnoticed for along time and lead to back pain much later. The lower back is put into a lot of stress because of pressure which is applied while sitting continuously for hours especially people who work all day long at their computers and desks. To tackle this strengthening the lower back muscles helps greatly. You can buy your self special chairs which have been specially made so as to take off the strain from your back. Sitting on these special chairs while you work at your desk all day long will not only help keep your back straight but also prevent back pain. Most people who suffer from lower back pain have no cause to worry as the problem can be addressed easily with proper exercises.

Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain

For many adults lower back pain is a common occurrence. In fact lower back pain is one of the leading causes of adults seeking medical treatment from a doctor, clinic or emergency room. But in the vast majority of cases, back pain does not necessarily indicate a more serious issue -- it is only an occasional nuisance. But, of course, it can still be very painful and render the individual practically useless for several days or possibly even weeks.

Sometimes however, lower back pain can be a symptom of another, more serious medical problem. For example, kidney problems can result in severe lower back pain, and there are other medical conditions that can also produce soreness in the lower back area.

But for the most part lower back pain is simply caused by strain placed on the muscles supporting the spine. The fact is, the muscles of the lower back support most of the weight of an adult human's body. The heavier the body, the greater the stress that is placed upon lower back muscles, and the more likely it is an individual can develop occasional soreness in the lower back. Weak or undeveloped stomach muscles may also contribute to back pain, as the muscles in the abdomen also help support the spine. Strengthening the abdominal muscles can help prevent lower back pain in some cases, or at least, make it far less frequent.

Lower back pain that persists for 90 days or more is usually considered chronic. But any time an individual has back pain for longer than three or four days, they should see a doctor for a diagnosis of the problem. Additionally, if the back pain is severe or if there is also pain down the side of the leg, it is important to see your doctor immediately, as this can be a symptom of sciatica. Sciatica is not usually a dangerous condition, but it can be very painful as it involves pressure on the sciatic nerves in the back, hip and leg.

The tricky thing about many a lower back problems is that they are often difficult to diagnose. Your doctor may prescribe a series of tests in order to rule out any type of kidney problem or other medical cause unrelated to the back muscles themselves. Doctors also sometimes prescribe MRI tests to look for a herniated disk or other problem of the spine.

But in the overwhelming majority of cases the cause of lower back pain is entirely down to strain on the lower back muscles. Stress is also believed to play a role in lower back pain, as chronic stress can cause the muscles in the body to contract, resulting in decreased blood circulation to muscle tissues. This decreased circulation in muscle tissues is a leading cause of back pain.

If your doctor determines that you have a herniated disk, in most cases the disk will slide back into its proper place on its own. But in the meantime, you will need to get plenty of rest, and as much as possible, reduce all strain to the back. Staying in bed is often prescribed. In rare cases, or as a last resort to control chronic disc related pain, doctors may recommend surgery. However, using pain relievers, and getting plenty of bed rest is usually enough to allow lower back pain to subside on its own.