Sharp Lower Back Pain - Possible Causes Revealed

In this article, we take a look at the importance of learning the causes of lower back pain, especially if it a sharp shooting kind of pain and determining the causes of origin of the pain. So, if you are truly feeling laid-back in the literal sense of the word and have suffered sharp lower back pain more than once recently, perhaps its time to do some quick thinking about what could have brought it on - so you can begin the right course of treatment based on the diagnosis, which needs to be proper and accurate.

Only after a proper medical examination of the person's past activities, especially ones involving heavy physical labor, can a person's cause for personal back pain due to injury or other reasons be pinned down accurately. Among the most common reasons triggering off lower back pain are sudden exertion, carrying heavy loads, standing, sitting or lying down in an awkward posture (e.g. such as painting the ceiling with a hand overhead all the time) and bending or twisting in a casual, thoughtless manner - which can happen during exercising as well as during regular household chores.

Sharp lower back pain can also become a chronic condition if not addressed in the initial stages and therefore doctors and medical health experts, including physical trainers and gym instructors advise people against exercising too much or wrongly, without proper knowledge of the right techniques since twisting wrong and doing heavy physical work can also aggravate a mild condition. Sometimes, patients tend to ignore the initial warning signs of a sharp lower back pain thinking it will go away and its not worth bothering over, but this is wrong and needs to be addressed immediately to prevent more severe cases. What many do not realize is that in ignoring the warning signal given by the body to the individual, there is a chance of aggravating an already painful condition and therefore, patient information on the condition is very crucial to serve a timely warning.

If the patient does not recall any of the above scenarios as causes for the lower back pain he or she is suffering, medical opinion should be sought immediately to rule out other possibilities, such as conditions of spinal stenosis (restricted spinal cord and nerve root channels), arthritis, infection in the spine, cancer of the spine or spondylolisthesis.

Also, a doctor is the best person to rule out the possibility of a fracture in the lower back as a potential cause for the sharp pain a patient may be suffering; once the above possibilities have been studied and other acute or chronic areas of the condition have been looked into, then diagnosis is more likely to be accurate and treatment can be started in earnest.

Some of the signs that a lower back pain sufferer may need to put across to his or her doctor for proper diagnosis include a sort of general ache radiating into the lower back, behind and the legs with occasional or steady complaints of numbness, tingling or weakness. Those suffering additional bowel or bladder problems should not delay contacting their doctor as this could mean a more severe case of lower back pain than usual.

Examination of the condition typically includes slow and careful palpation of the spine to determine nature of muscle spasms, displacements/sore points and the same is also carried out for the abdomen to verify the involvement of any organ in the complaint. To determine the exact origin of sharp lower back pain, doctors may also recommend the patient undergoing neurological assessments, lab tests and imaging studies.

How Your Sitting Posture Affects Low Back Pain

Few people would argue that modern life is more sedentary than in the past; one of the negative effects of this is an abundance of health-related issues such as lack of exercise and posture problems leading to low back pain.

The Modern Workplace

When we think of the workplace and back pain we normally think of manual tasks and workers over-stretching or not taking the necessary precautions before lifting loads.

But, whether it's simply sitting at desks or driving our cars, there are other related hazards in the modern workplace.

We simply spend more time sitting down nowadays and the stresses associated with not sitting properly can be a central cause of low back pain.

When we combine bad posture with lack of exercise, poor diet, becoming overweight and leading generally higher stress lifestyles, it can become a collision course for our poor old backs, which are asked to do the vital job of supporting our whole bodies.

Are You a Candidate?

One way to assess whether you are a candidate for bad posture is to do a snap test right now. As you are reading these words how is your posture? Don't straighten up and raise your head as you read these words - just freeze the moment in time and assess your posture.

If you are slumped with a curved spine and your head and shoulders forward, with legs crossed, reading this off a computer monitor that is lower than eye level then you could be in store for some nasty low back, upper back or neck pain problems in the future.

In fact, just one or two of these poor posture characteristics can lead to problems.

The Seat of the Problem

Being the central support mechanism of the body, our lower backs carry a heavy load and they rarely get the chance to rest.

Even when we are in bed our sleeping posture may put undue pressure on some areas of the back.

So carrying the right posture through our daily life and especially for those of us who spend long hours sitting, becomes crucial. If we don't, we may increase pressure on discs and ligaments in the spine, causing them to wear away faster and setting us up for low back pain in later life.

Unfortunately many physicians go straight to medication to address low back pain without addressing the root causes of the problem; this can just as easily be poor sitting posture, poor diet, lack of exercise or excess stress in our lives, as other common causes like overstretching or injury.

Posture and Core Strength

A slouched sitting posture can have a negative impact on the Transversus Abdominis muscle especially. This is one of the main deep abdominal muscles which are core to stabilising the spine and maintaining balance and support in the lumbar spine region.

Periods of poor posture and physical inactivity can mean that this muscle will contract less often and less naturally, hindering the spinal support mechanisms of the low back region.

Correcting Bad Posture

The good news is that, if you suspect your sitting posture to be a cause of the problem, then you can immediately take some steps to correct it.

Remember you are looking to find a position that suits the natural curvature of your spine.

If you spend a lot of time in front of a computer, try raising your computer monitor until the center of the screen is at eye level.

This will encourage you to sit more upright, with a straight back and shoulders further back, instead of slumping forward and downward to your monitor.

Sit with your feet flat on the floor for stability and resist the temptation to cross your legs.

You will probably fall back into old habits subconsciously at first - each time you do, correct yourself again; bad habits are learned, so good habits can just as easily be learned!

For more serious low back pain, seek the advice of a healthcare professional who understands the importance of posture and can help identify the issues creating your low back pain. For the rest of us, a good place to start is with increased attention to maintaining correct posture, eating a healthy diet and engaging in regular exercises for the back's core muscles.

Leg Training With Lower Back Injuries - 6 Steps to Improved Lower Body Training

Back Pain, If you haven't already had it you can pretty much rest assured that at some point you will have to deal with it. Some people may get lucky and only have minor injuries that go away with very little work, others (like myself) will have to deal and work around back pain for a very long long time.

However just because you have back pain or an injury doesn't mean you cant train, it just means you have to modify your training. If anything the change of training could benefit you in terms of motivation, exercise selection and the challenge of doing something different in the gym.

Before I jump into the exercises and training information I recommend from personal experience keep in mind i am not a doctor, and with any injury you should always consult your doctor.

Step 1 : Injury Check - Determine what is wrong.

One of the biggest problems with back injuries is actually knowing what your injury is! I was doing some research on back pain and saw a crazy statistic that about 60% of lower back pain injuries are undetermined. Basically someone has pain, and the doctor or chiropractor cant actually find anything mechanically wrong with the back. Sometimes back pain can be a lot more than just something wrong with your back! But this is another article all together. Try to find out what is causing the problem. It could be simple, it could be complex. Find a good Doctor, Chiropractor, Physiotherapist and learn from them.

Step 2 :Assessment - Determine what you can & can't do.

First thing I want you to do is take a pen and paper and write down ALL the lower body exercises that cause you pain. The list can be small, or long, but i want you to WRITE IT DOWN. Here is my list quickly. - Bar Back Squats - Bar Deadlifts - Heavy normal stance stiff leg deadlifts Heavy rotational core work Heavy squats of any kind. That is my list briefly. These are exercises that when I do them I know I am going to pay for them. Now do the following. Take your list, read it top to bottom, and then STOP DOING THESE EXERCISES! When you get a lot of pain from an exercise it is your body telling you to stop doing what you are doing, something is wrong. It is like driving a car, when a red light comes on your dash saying Check Engine that does not mean drive the RPM's up and drive as hard as you can. It means stop, evaluate, try to fix the problem!

Step 3 - PreHab & Mobility

Prehab & mobility work is another article I will write down the road, but I wanted to touch on it briefly. Everyone wants to get to the gym, hit it hard and go home. Keeping in mind when you train you are breaking down your muscle tissue, nervous system and more. It is a good idea to get your body READY for the workout ahead. Prehab basically means prehabilitation, which is the opposite of rehabilitation. Rehab is what you do AFTER you are injured. Prehab is what you do to MINIMIZE getting injured. Why get injured if you can prevent it! More on this down the road.

Mobility work is around the same lines as prehab. It is good to get your body moving and firing properly so that it can do the job that you want it to do. Let say your goal is a sprint workout. Don't do any warm up, or dynamic stretching, just go dive right into your sprints. This is great IF you want a hamstring tear! So prehab & mobility should always come before any workout. It will take 8-20 minutes depending on age, training experience, type of training. But it is ALWAYS worth it. Consider this the seat belt of your car. Always buckle up!

Step 4 : Getting Ready For The Exercises

A few factors that I always take into consideration with back pain/injuries and training are the following. Load Tempo Stability ROM (Range of motion). Lets start with load. For load lets just keep this simple. Load for now will be simple, it is the amount of weight you use for an exercise.

For example lets say you are squatting. If you are squatting the bar (45lb) without problem, then squatting should be OK right? Well lets say you put 315 on that bar (and your are strong enough to do it) and that weight causes you pain/discomfort. then the load is too high. If you can do an exercise with LIGHTER weight and still do the exercise this is a good thing. It just means you have to LOWER YOUR WEIGHT. I know, everything you read tells you to lift more. Well when you are injured this is the wrong thing to do!

However, if you can do an exercise without pain with lighter weight we can introduce the next thing, Tempo. If you are familiar with tempo then skip to the next paragraph. if not let me summarize quickly.

Tempo is the following. The speed at which you execute an exercise. Tempo has 3 ranges I will explain using a bench press. Eccentric : Lowering (Once you take the bar off the rack and lower it to your chest) Pause : When the range is at its fullest (IE on the bench press it is when the bar touches your chest) Concentric : The positive side of the lift. IE Pushing the bar off your chest on bench press)

A tempo principle would be written like this Tempo 6 - 1 - X 6 = 6 seconds down 1 = 1 second pause X = Move the weight as fast as you can back to the start of the rep

Simply put if you have an injury SLOW DOWN. Using less weight with a longer TUT (Time Under Tension) you will benefit greatly from it. Your muscles will get work and your joints will thank you! Next up is stability training. Stability training has really gone strange over the last few years. You see bosu balls everywhere, and everywhere I see stability training i see people doing things they shouldn't be doing!

When defining stability at the moment we want to look core stability. Keeping the TVA (Transversus abdominis muscle) stable during lower body exercises is very important. If your core is unstable and you have a lower back injury or weakness you will only make matters worse.

What I mean for this is keep your stomach tight, your core strong and stable, this will help reduce back injury and also injury prevention.

Lastly is ROM means (Range Of Motion). For the most part you always want a full range of motion. However, if this isn't possible (usually due to lack of mobility), I recommend modifying the exercise and making the best of it. For example I cant do full squats (But I think they are a fantastic exercise if you can do them). But I can do squats to a bench without much pain. So why not use them. It is better to do something than nothing.

Step 5 : The Exercises

First thing I recommend is to ditch most exercises that involve using 2 legs at once. Single leg training is the way to go! You wont see much of this type training in Flex magazine, but if you want legs like Ronnie Coleman this isn't the article for you. However if you want muscular, strong, functional legs, uni-lateral leg training is an excellent choice.

Some Benefits Of Uni-Lateral Leg Training Are:

- The loads on the spine will be dramatically reduced
- The leg(s) are isolated causing a much higher recruitment of muscle fiber activation Improvement of sports as most sports don't have 2 legs in a set position exerting effort (IE. Squat or Deadlift)
- Improved Co-ordination with single leg training.
Due to my own injury I have fallen in love with the following exercises.
- Single Leg Box Squats - Start using your own body weight then progress to using a weighted vest & or dumbells Lunges. Reduced load on spine when using dumbells. Can adjust stride length and dept to hit different areas of legs & hips.
- Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlifts. Done with a dumbell or kettlebell. Great for hamstrings, lower back & improving balance.
- Ski Squats - Vary heights every 30 seconds. Step Ups - Varying heights using dumbells.
- Leg Extensions - (For bodybuilding, not for sports improvement) Sissy Squats -(Old School exercise that has great benefits for leg growth)
- Single Leg Squats against a wall with a ball. Same as ski squat but using a ball

6. Post Workout Recovery

I am not going to go into the details of post workout nutrition here. I will just cover what I think is important from a training point of view.

The only time to do static stretching (where you place the muscle in a stretched ranged and hold), is post workout. After doing leg training I recommend a good 10-15 minutes of cool down stretching. I always find it best to start with the hips and work your way down.

IE. Stretching in order, Glutes, Hips, Quads, Hamstrings, Calves.

I also highly recommend ice post workout. Not the ice cold type skin creams, I mean a bag of cold ice or a ice pad. Applied to any area that hurts after you train. This is key in reducing inflammation (which contributes largely to pain). Reduce inflammation, improve recovery.

Another great post workout way to recover is alternating hot and cold shower. To do this you run 30 seconds hot, then 30 seconds cold. It really sucks but it really works wonders for muscle recovery.

Summary

Training with any injury is never fun. A back injury gets in the way of everything you do, but instead of looking at it negatively look at it as a challenge and make the best of your situation. Look for another article down the road implementing these exercises into a kick ass lower body routine that will get your legs firing while minimizing back pain and improving mobility!

Low Back Pain and Sciatica - Is Osteoporosis the Cause?

Literally speaking, osteoporosis means 'porous bones'. Individuals with osteoporosis suffer brittle bones which can be broken more readily than someone who is not suffering with osteoporosis. However, this does not mean you are going to suffer a fracture, there will be plenty of people walking around suffering with osteoporosis of the spine who will never suffer any kind of fracture, with the condition itself having varying degrees of severity. It is often only when an individual suffers a fracture that they realise they are osteoporotic, consequently those that do not suffer a fracture pass through life never knowing.

As we go through life, our body continuously replaces/remodels our bones to keep them strong. However as we get older, this remodelling cannot always keep pace with the natural thinning of the bones which also naturally takes place. Consequently, slowly but surely the bone density is not as healthy as we would like it to be and osteoporosis can result.

With regards to Low Back Pain & Sciatica and the effect osteoporosis may have, it is primarily due to the vertebra of the spine losing height which causes the pain. As the bone density of the vertebra decreases in those individuals with osteoporosis, the vertebra begin to lose height as a consequence of the weight being placed through them by our own body. When quite severe, relatively small fractures can take place and as a result the vertebra can become quite 'squashed'. This is referred to as a compression fracture.

The consequences of this are two fold:

1) Posture: Due to the way in which the vertebra become compressed, it causes those suffering with osteoporosis to develop a 'flexed' or 'stooped' posture. In addition to this, once again as a result of the vertebra becoming compressed, significant height can be lost... it is as if you are shrinking! Even though your posture may be quite severely affected, you may not necessarily be suffering any pain at this stage. However, this is not a reason to be complacent and if you recognise any of these potential changes in posture, it is important you make an appointment to see you Doctor.

2) Pain: If you are suffering with compression fractures of the vertebra, there is a fair chance this is going to cause you pain at sometime, especially when the fracture is relatively new and your body has not been able to heal itself yet (it will though). If these fractures and their consequences begin to irritate the nerve roots which form the sciatic nerve in any way, sciatica i.e. pain down the legs, will result.

Osteoporosis is something which can be readily treated and the sooner you begin treating it the better. Pain associated with osteoporosis is not something you necessarily have to live with.

A Hidden Cause of Low Back Pain

A hidden cause of low back pain...

• It's not your muscles.


• Or your discs.


• It won't show up on an MRI.


• Your chiropractor doesn't fix it with an adjustment.


• And you can't take a pill to treat it.

Yet... it can be a major contributor to low back problems.

It's your connective tissues. They wrap, strap, and brace things together, and transfer forces from one body part to another.

The term "connective tissue" (sometimes called "fascia") includes

• Your tendons and ligaments that together convey muscle force to a bone and keep the bones in an organized relationship to each other


• The stout bands that steady the outside of your thigh to allow you to stand up (called the fascia lata)


• The strapping that connects the two bones of your forearm together (the interosseous membrane)


• The abdominal wall that keeps your guts in place (called - you guessed it - the abdominal wall)


• The tight membrane surrounding your body and forming the anchoring base for your skin (the subcutaneous fascia)


• The dura mater lining the brain


• The plantar fascia, which will give you foot pain if it's too tight


• The lumbodorsal fascia, which braces the low back, and


• Much, much more.

The connective tissues convey movement from one body part to another. So if your fascia is out of balance, your body movement is out of balance too. Then you'll get excess pressure on certain joints. And your muscles will be at a mechanical disadvantage and be more likely to overwork.

The connective tissues have your blood vessels and nerves embedded in them. That means connective tissue imbalance will interfere with blood flow and nerve transmission.

Fascia is also rich in nerve endings. That means that your connective tissues can be a direct source of pain in and of themselves, in addition to the effect they have on your other body parts.

White blood cells and other immune system elements wander through your connective tissues, waiting to be called into action elsewhere in the body. Fascia problems will inhibit a robust immune response.

Your connective tissue tells a story. But only to those who can decipher it.

The texture and pliability of each zone of fascia records the history of specific stresses your body's been subject to.

But it takes a practitioner with extensive experience to make sense of the story.

Imagine yourself wandering into a newly discovered Egyptian pyramid - you know the hieroglyphics mean something important, but only an archaeologist with years of experience can interpret them.

Here's what you can do to take care of your connective tissues: Become good friends with a foam roller specially designed for connective tissue self-treatment.

You can lie on your roller and it will work out the kinks in your connective tissues. Place it under your mid-back (for instance), then breathe and relax as you let gravity take over. The roller will apply therapeutic pressure to the knots on either side of your spine.

You can also use it under your gluteal or outer thigh region. Or anywhere in the body.

Low Back Pain - How To Find Relief For Low Back Pain

Suffering from low back pain can be a real detriment to accomplishing daily tasks. Low back pain, also called lumbago, is a fairly common disorder that 80% of us will likely experience at some point in our lives. In fact, it is the primary cause of work-related disability in the US. Low back pain is caused by a number of potential factors, all of which involve some form of strain or sprain, infection, pressure, and swelling of the muscle, bone tissue, or the bone itself.

What do I do with this pain?

Most people suffering from lumbago do not consider surgery as their first choice in addressing their back pains. Doctors may recommend therapy, medication, changes in posture, adjustments in diet, and may even recommend surgery for more serious cases. However, if you're among those looking to hasten their recovery period from back pain, you may choose to undergo additional therapy, in addition to what your doctor recommends you to do.

What is the fastest way to support the recovery of my back pain?

A very highly successful alternative support to alleviate back pain symptoms is known as non-surgical spinal decompression therapy. It is a very technologically advanced form of traction which provides alternative relief of symptoms brought about by lower back pain.

What is spinal decompression therapy?

Decompression therapy is a non-surgical procedure that serves as a form of therapy for relieving pain due to lower back pressure, strain, disc displacement, and other faulty functions on one's lower back that cause pain. This form of therapy serves to effectively enhance the process of healing and hastens pain relief, enabling you to go back to your active lifestyle faster than the normal recovery period. Several clinical studies and research have already shown a high correlation between faster healing and spinal decompression therapy.

How does a spinal decompression therapy work?

A patient about to undergo spinal decompression lies on the treatment table. Then, a support system is fitted in order to stabilize the body. A highly advanced mechanism that is computer-controlled then adjusts the back to a certain angle in order to facilitate the next steps. The computer system will then generate an anti-gravity simulation effect on the patient's spine in order to reduce pain and pressure--essentially decompressing the affected area to relieve it of any tension. This process is painless, gentle, and patients feel only a pulling sensation every now and then. After the session, a cold pack paired with electric simulation of the muscles are then applied to the area to speed up the process of healing.

How long do I have to undergo decompression therapy?

Normally, a patient undergoes 15 to 20 sessions in order to maximize the effects of the therapy. Each session lasts for about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on each patient's special case. However, some patients report immediate relief even after only a few sessions. Others also report a huge reduction in the amount of pain after only one session. A patient doesn't have to fulfill a commitment of a particular number of sessions--it can be discontinued at the patient's discretion.

Spinal decompression therapy may produce favorable results on its own, but a typical program usually encourages the patient to engage in a couple of exercises. These exercises, to be specified by the decompression clinic, serve to strengthen the lower back muscles in order to avoid future recurrence of lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain

The lower back is the region connecting the upper and lower body, which bears all our weight and because of this reason, it is prone to injuries while lifting, reaching or twisting, if these activities are done carelessly. On the brighter side, lower back pain needs just some basic care, which the individual can see to and relieve the pain in a matter of weeks, in most circumstances. For more chronic cases, where pain is severe and extends to beyond a few weeks, it is advisable to consult a doctor.

Causes of lower back pain

Common cause for lower back pain is over use of the muscles and strain caused through improper bending and stretching which does not support the natural balance of the lower back muscles. Sports injuries, heavy yard work or lifting excessively heavy objects can also strain the lower back. Degeneration through age is another factor, as bones and muscles lose strength with time: the discs between the vertebrae provide less cushioning in old age and a bulging disc or a herniated one pressing on the nerves can result in lower back pain. At times, arthritis, compression fractures caused by osteoporosis (bone loss) illness or a spinal problem since birth can be probable causes too.

Symptoms and diagnosis of lower back pain

Usually, a dull, burning or sharp sensation felt at a singular point or extending over a broader area, coming on slowly or suddenly, with muscles spasms are common symptoms of lower back pain; they can be acute cases-lasting less than 3 months- if properly treated, or be recurrent in nature or even chronic (lasting over 3months). The diagnosis requires a full account of medical history, symptoms and the physical activity of the sufferer before the doctor can commit a serious cause for the lower back pain as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs are limited to cases of broken bones, cancer or an injury requiring surgery. Or, if the patient is considering a lawsuit for worker's compensation for lower back pain being caused due to any practice at the workplace.

Treatment of lower back pain and preventing recurrence.

In most cases of lower back pain, the application of ice for 5 to 15 minutes every few hours for some days is helpful. The patient could alternate with heat therapy, like hot water bottle/heating pad or a hot shower for a longer duration (15-20 minutes) for the next few days. Resting position during lower back pain should be sleeping on the side with a pillow between the knees with a couple of day's bed rest and then returning back to normal routine helps muscles to stay strong with walking being the best exercise for the lower back. Core stabilization exercises can be done gently which improve posture, keep your body's equilibrium at its optimum while lowering chances of injury too. Other safeguards include wearing low-heeled shoes, sleeping on a medium-firm mattress, avoiding lifting heavy objects and watching your weight-especially around the waist as this puts stress on the lower back.