Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain?

Low back pain is a very common and sometimes debilitating condition that affects up to 80 % of the population. Most patients that develop the acute onset of low back pain will able to return to normal activities of daily living and become a functional member of society within 6 weeks of onset. Yet, a small percentage of the population can go on to suffer with chronic disabling lumbar pain.

Despite many scientific advances in medicine over the decades, improvement in the quality of healthcare and the proliferation of various new pharmaceuticals, controlling chronic low back pain can be difficult but not impossible. Surgical solutions for treating low back pain is difficult and often met with mixed results and should be the very last option.

Causes of Chronic Low Back Pain

The causes of chronic lumbar pain are many and can include one or a few of the problems listed below in combination, and the causes are not limited to this list:

Degenerative Arthritis: This is the most common cause in adults, and is consistent with the normal wear and tear process to the lumbar spine.
Other types of arthropathies: There are a number of conditions which fall under this section such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diffuse Idiopathic skeletal Hyperostosis(DISH), Lupus, Ankylosing Spondylosis or other HLA-B27 conditions.
Fibromyalgia: Disease of disuse and muscle deconditioning.
Stress: This could be either emotional or social stressors which can lead to lumbar pain via muscle spasm.
Fractures: This can be as a result of any significant trauma such as a motor vehicle accident.
Muscle Strains: The most common cause as a result of work-related injuries lifting injuries or other types of other trauma.
Herniated Disc: Disruption of the disc that separates two vertebra that results in nerve root compression.
Spinal Stenosis: Compression of the spinal nerves secondary to naturally progressive age related arthritis.
Infection: Bacterial or fungal infection of the spine.
Cancer
Intra-abdominal or pelvic organ pathology: Kidney, pancreas, and aorta problems as well as others can mimic symptoms consistent with traditional lower back pain.

It is because the majority of lower back pain in our society is caused by muscle strain or arthritis, and the frequency is so common, that a delay or missed diagnosis of underlying rare conditions, such as but not limited to fractures, cancer, infection, renal stones, and aortic aneurysms, can occur.

What are the Predisposing Factors for Chronic Lower Back Pain?

There are a number of predisposing factors that can increase a patient's chances of having back issues. Problems such as smoking, alcoholism, obesity, low physical activity, psychosocial issues, sedentary jobs, prior failed back surgery, secondary gain, and deconditioning can all increase a patient's chances of developing or maintaining chronic lower back pain.

As it relates to treatment for lower back pain, it is fortunate that the vast majority of patients will have complete resolution of their pain within six to eight weeks of acute onset. The prevalence of lower back issues in our society persisting longer than two weeks is approximately 14%, with a point prevalence of approximately 7% (Deyo, R. A. 1990).

Treatment

The active treatment of lower back pain has two main focuses, the first of which should always be non-operative care. This should include physical therapy, chiropractic, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxants, limited use of narcotics, various injections (both diagnostic and therapeutic), weight loss, smoking cessation, muscle reconditioning, and the tincture of time.

As it relates specifically to aerobic exercise, fitness creates an overall protective effect on the spine by increasing muscle strength, endurance, and increasing endorphin levels. This can lead to avoiding conditions such as fibromyalgia, which is a disease of disuse.

The other generalized treatment algorithm may include surgery. It is known that surgical intervention for predominant low back pain typically does not result in excellent long-term results.

Surgical fusion has been met with mixed results for the treatment of predominant low back pain and decompression has a very limited role.

Artificial Disc Replacement (ADR) is showing some significant promise in the treatment of low back pain as well as artificial nucleus. Research is still ongoing as it relates to artificial nucleus replacement, yet artificial disk replacement is available and is no longer experimental as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed the initial research and approved ADR for human use since 2003. In Europe, artificial disk replacement has been an approved (CE mark) treatment for over 20 years.

Any patient that is considering treatment for chronic, disabling, low back pain should seek the advice of their primary care physician first and address many of the risk factors that have been outlined above.

Surgical intervention for chronic low back pain is not common, but evaluation by a spinal surgery specialist would be an important step to take if you, as a patient, have remained symptomatic, despite the conservative course, for longer than 6 to 8 weeks.

Is There a Way to Treat Low Back Pain and Bowel Problems Together?

If suffering the agony and debilitating effects of back problems is not enough, some people have painful bowel problems on top of this. You may be thinking that this is just adding insult to injury, why me? One source of discomfort is bad enough. Don't worry, this article will show you that quite often the two are linked and curing one can cure the other.

One of the most chronic pains that people face today is lower back pain. This pain can be caused by a number of problems, including sports injuries, poor posture, degenerative or herniated discs, work injuries, or simple overuse in carrying large loads of heavy items, for example. Although common, it is also one of the most debilitating pains, especially when relief cannot be easily found. Low back pain and bowel problems have even been linked, making curing the low back pain even more of a priority for someone who suffers from it.

There are a few ways to try to alleviate the lower back problems. First, try sleeping on your left side with a pillow between your knees. A new mattress may also help. Wear flat shoes, and pay attention to proper posture during the day. Lifting with your legs instead of your back is also important. Heating pads and over the counter painkillers can also help. Beyond these home remedies, sometimes there is an underlying physical cause of the pain that needs to be addressed. Chiropractic care, physical therapy, and massage therapy are popular options to try to remedy these underlying problems.

Bowel problems are also quite common. Many people suffer from a condition known as IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. This non-specific name conveys much of what is known about the causes of IBS, which is not much. This condition causes bowel and abdominal pain which is non specific and which often cannot be remedied, leading some to think it is imagined or psychosomatic. One link that is interesting to consider is the link between Low back pain and bowel problems. Some researchers and medical practitioners hypothesize that nerve damage in the lower back, which is often responsible for lower back pain, can also affect the bowels and abdomen by causing muscular pain and by disrupting the nerve flow to the digestive tract and internal organs.

If there is such a link between Low back pain and bowel problems, it would stand to reason that fixing the cause of the lower back pain would also fix the bowel problems. Both of these remedies would be most welcome to those who suffer from both, or from either. Stress reduction therapy, along with the previously mentioned choices of chiropractic or physical therapy, can have a big impact on both problems for those who suffer in this way.

Discuss the facts in this article with your doctor you may be able to kill two birds with one stone and your path to perfect health may be easier than you think.

3 Quick Tips For Lower Back Pain Relief

Lower back pain ranks as one of the most disabling pains in society today and almost everyone is looking for back pain relief in some form or another. You have massage chairs, foam rollers and other gadgets that all promise lower back pain relief but manage to only fix one piece of the puzzle. Lower back pain is a typically a warning sign to more serious back pain or hip issues down the road.

The first area that you have to address is the hips. I know that this seems basic but the basics are what people usually skip. Sitting down and working at a computer all day is the number one cause of tight and dysfunctional hips. Sitting tightens our hip flexors, which attach to our back and cause back pain. So to get any type of back pain relief we must stretch the hip flexors and hamstrings during the day.

With tight hip flexors and hamstrings our glutes will become weak and not function to protect our back. Increasing glute strength through bridges and bent knee clams and other glute strengthening techniques featured in The Physique Formula Bulletproof Body program will increase our lower back pain relief efforts. Most people overuse their hamstrings and tight hip flexors and never really know how to use their glutes. You can do squats and lunges but even those movements don't directly hit your glutes the way that you need them to in order to stop your lower back pain.

The third thing that you have to do is increase your core strength. Not only is a strong core vital to maintaining healthy posture but it also provides relief by keeping the back stable during dynamic activities. Core strength has become over hyped in recent years with the fancy balls and balance devices but direct ab workout, cable chops and planks will be all of the core work you need for your lower back pain.

Lower Back Pain When Standing Up Straight Causes and Solutions

One common back problem that people can experience is lower back pain when standing up straight. This is something that strikes the majority of people at some point or another during their lives, and can affect different areas of the back such as the lower region, the upper area, and toward the sides. Some of the causes of lower back pain can be relatively simple, and can therefore be easily dealt with to alleviate the discomfort, whereas others may be more serious and may need medical attention.

This type of back problem can occur for a number of reasons. It could be something as simple as having slept uncomfortably or the way that you carry yourself in terms of your posture, to something that may require medical attention such as an injury that has been sustained or an underlying problem relating to the spine, such as a trapped nerve or slipped disc. If the pain continues for a matter of days without subsiding then you should always seek medical advice, as this will allow the root problem of your pain to be explored.

Some of the causes of lower back pain

A number of causes can contribute toward this type of pain, and whatever the reason the discomfort that comes with this problem can be significant and debilitating. This is why it is important to get the issue sorted out if you notice ongoing pains when you try and stand up straight.

Some causes of lower back pain when standing can be more obvious than others, such as having sustained an injury or slept in an awkward position. However, others can be less obvious, and this is why you may need to seek medical help. Some of the possible causes of this type of pain include:

• An injury that has been sustained


• Trapped nerve in the lower back


• Slipped disc


• Tightened muscles


• Trauma to lower back (e.g. such as those sustained in a car accident or by a sudden jolt to the body)

If there is no obvious reason why your back continues to hurt when you try and stand up you should make an appointment to see your doctor, and this will help to ensure that the problem and the pain is sorted out as quickly as possible.

Use stretches to ease the discomfort

Using stretching exercises to help alleviate the discomfort can prove very effective for many people, and this can help you in a number of ways. Some of the ways in which stretching can help include loosening the muscles, improving mobility, increasing flexibility, easing strain and tension, and improving blood flow and circulation. All of this can help to alleviate the pain and discomfort for those that experience lower back pain when standing up straight.

Low Back Pain - Can Sitting All Day Be the Culprit?

Low back pain seems to be epidemic these days. Many people feel they are at low risk for back pain. They do not have physically demanding jobs. After all, they sit at a desk all day behind a computer. It is very likely that all that sitting may literally turn into a back ache (or butt pain).

The human body is miraculously designed to move, that's what it's meant to do. With all of today's technology and automation, our bodies move less and less. Just think of how many hours you spend sitting. Do you commute to and from work? How many hours do you sit behind a desk at work? Then what do you do when you get home... watch some TV? All this sitting has a huge negative impact on the body. The lack of physical activity causes muscles to shorten and get tight. If they become too tight, you may experience painful muscle spasms. These shortened muscles lead to muscle imbalances which are often the root cause of most back or neck pain.

Ever try to stand up after sitting for a while and feel like you have to crank your hip joint and low back so you can stand up straight? Maybe it takes ten or twenty steps for you to "get the kinks out" before you can stand up straight and walk freely. This back pain is usually caused by specific muscles becoming particularly tight which then pull on the back. Regular movement helps avoid this tightness and helps keep the muscles limber.

We've only mentioned muscles, but sitting for prolonged periods of time has a negative impact on all the body functions. The body slows down, including the circulatory and digestive systems, and also our metabolism and mental capacity. Physical movement gets the muscles pumping which assists blood flow to all organs, getting the much needed oxygen to all parts and transporting waste products away. Needless to say, moving simply makes you feel better in many ways.

Inactivity Causes Back and Joint Pain

Most individuals don't realize how profound the effects of inactivity can be. It can sometimes take months or years for the aches and pains to manifest and people don't connect the dots with inactivity being a cause of their back pain. But many aches and joint pain are attributed to lack of movement and muscle weakness or tightness that leads to muscle imbalances.

A simple step towards pain free movement is simply that... to get moving again. One can start with some basic stretches done hourly for a minute or two to break up hours of sitting and help to avoid the muscles from tightening. Other stretches can be done daily but held for longer (from 30 seconds up to a minute). These stretches should be done to the point of mild discomfort but not pain. While holding the stretch for 30 seconds or more, focus on long, deep breaths. This will give you a chance to breathe deeply, another health factor than many of us ignore on a daily basis. Focusing on deep breathing allows your muscles to relax and lengthen and takes your mind off the stretching.

After working in the Corporate Wellness field for over two decades, there are several simple ergonomic stretches that you can do easily at your desk. These ergonomic stretches help your body adapt to the workstation (in this case - long hours of sitting). They require no special equipment and take only seconds or a couple minutes to do. These stretches generally involve muscles of the neck, shoulders, legs, hips and low back. Most people feel instant relief but the key is to do them periodically throughout the day and then do more extensive stretching or strengthening exercises daily to address existing muscle imbalances. To receive your copy of "7 Simple Office Stretches" visit http://www.easyontheback.com

Upper Back Pain Relief - Causes and Cures

There are many different causes of upper back pain, and while not as common as pain in the lower back, it can often times be a much more painful, often chronic condition. The good news is... There ARE medications and pain management treatments that can be very effective.

Some of the causes are myofascial pain (irritated muscles), dysfunction of or degenerative joints, and even an injury or herniation to one of the discs in the upper spine, called Thoracic Herniation. You may even have a genetic disease or disposition to having these problems. Other scary sounding problems could include osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatic nerve impingement, compressed vertebrae and others.

In other words... before you start on any course of self treatment, check with your doctor to be certain your pain relief effort doesn't require surgery.

Causes...
Though more common in lower back pain, pain in the upper back can also result - over time - from poor posture.

If you are sitting at a desk all day, hunched over doing work, this puts a strain on your upper back. The upper back vertebra are not designed to be constantly bent over like this. It is a more rigid part of the spine, designed to support the weight of the person, and protect the internal organs. If it is not held in an upright position, the muscles surrounding the spine itself can become strained.

Upper back pain can be extremely discomforting. Usually, in addition to having upper (cervical) back discomfort, you may also experience shoulder and neck pain, as well as pain in the lower back and spine. To find upper back pain relief, you will want to really dig in and find ALL the causes. It could be a combination of several acting together - not just one.

Luckily, if you happen to have upper back pain, there are a number of ways to alleviate it. Surgery, medication, back strengthening and stretching exercises, massage and even acupuncture to name a few. Prevention...
But, when discussing your health, it prevention should be your first - top - line of defense.

Since it is so important that you prevent the problem in the first place, here are a few things you can do:

1. The first is get enough sleep at night, with a bed that is supportive of the spine. Sleep is important, not just to rest the back muscles, but to repair nerve and muscle damage.

2. If you are someone who does sit in front of a desk for long periods of time, or in front of the television, that's all right, but it is important that you get up at least once every half an hour.

Move around, stand up straight as much as possible, and walk around a little bit. This way your back and spine don't strain by sitting in one position for so long a period of time.

3. There are a number of back stretching and strengthening exercises you can find that can help... try taking a class in Yoga. Building up weakened muscle tissue in the back helps!

4. Changes in diet can also help to prevent upper back pain. Reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet, eating foods that have anti-inflammatory properties.

Sometimes, upper back pain is unavoidable. It may even happen from doing something you aren't even aware of, and all of a sudden you have these pains.

Frequently, when you get sudden pain from nothing more than twisting or turning at just the right angle, this is caused by a herniated or bulging disc. Since there is no pain unless it actually touches a nerve (we are talking millimeters), it is estimated that 60% of all of us have disc problems - but we aren't aware!

We are all going to have a certain amount of upper back pain occasionally, and here are just some of the many ways to get severe back pain relief.

Upper Back Pain Relief... Cures

One way to find upper back pain relief is to soak in a tub of water with Epsom salt. Adding a bag or two to water that is hot enough to just stand it can be a great relief, not just for you upper back, but other areas of the body as well. If you want, you can even add some essential oils for aromatherapy.

Upper back massage is another great way to relieve pain, and you can do this even if you are by yourself. Take a couple of tennis balls, lay them on the floor, and lay down on them.

Gently move your body back and forth, allowing the balls to massage the muscles. Every thirty seconds to a minute, change the positioning of the balls. If you find an area that is particularly painful, you don't have to stay there, move the balls in another location.

Getting upper back pain relief is something YOU can do... there is no need to suffer!

Back Pain - What is Axial Back Pain?

Axial back pain is the most common type of low back pain. It is usually non-specific - meaning that the anatomical structure responsible for the pain need not be identified because symptoms are usually self limited and resolve. Unlike other low back issues, this type of pain does not travel into the buttock, legs and feet, or other areas of the body. Axial back pain can vary widely from sharp or dull pain, constant or intermittent pain, or mild to severe pain.

Following are characteristics of axial back pain:

• Low back pain that gets worse with certain activities, such as certain sports.
  


• Low back pain that gets worse with certain positions, such as sitting for long periods.
  


• Low back pain that is relieved by rest.

An exact diagnosis as to which structure is causing the low back pain rarely has significance to treatment. Further evaluation is only necessary when the pain is severe and chronic. A variety of structures in the lower back can cause axial or mechanical lower back pain, such as a degenerated disc, facet joints problems, and damage to soft tissues - muscles, ligaments, and tendons - and it is often difficult to identify which anatomical structure(s) is the underlying cause of the pain.

As a general rule of thumb, if your back pain is bad enough that it wakes you up from deep sleep, you should consult a physician to rule out possible serious conditions, such as an infection, tumor or fracture.

Treatment for axial back pain is conservative (not requiring surgery). Treatment may include one or a combination of the following:

• A short period of rest (e.g. one or two days)
  


• Physical therapy and active exercise and stretching
  


• Ice and/or heat application for activity related pain relief
  


• Appropriate medications for pain relief
  


• About 90 percent of patients with axial low back pain recover within six weeks. If axial


• low back pain persists for more than six to eight weeks, then additional testing and/or injections may be useful in diagnosing and treating the source of the pain.