Common Causes of Back Pain
The most common medical complaints are that of back pain. On a
positive note, back pain episodes usually diminish within a few
weeks if caused from muscle strain. Unfortunately, a backache
can be among the most difficult and frustrating problems for
patients and their doctors.
Understanding the cause of your pain is the key to proper
treatment. Because back pain is sometimes difficult to treat, a
better understanding of the causes of will assist patients in
their recovery.
The most common causes of back pain are:
Muscle strains are the most common cause of low back pain.
Patients may or may not remember the initial event that
triggered their muscle spasm, but the good news is that most
episodes of back pain from muscle strains fade away completely
within a few weeks.
A ruptured intervertebral disc, also called a herniated disc, is
another common cause of back pain.
Discogenic back pain is thought to be a common cause of low back
pain. Discogenic back pain is the result of damage to the
intervertabral disc, but without disc herniation. Diagnosis of
discogenic back pain may require the use of a discogram.
Spinal stenosis causes back pain in the aging population. As we
age, the spinal canal can become constricted, due in part to
arthritis and other conditions. If the spinal canal becomes too
tight, back pain can be the result.
Arthritis most commonly affects joints such as the knees and
fingers. However, arthritis can affect any joint in the body,
including the small joints of the spine. Arthritis of the spine
can cause back pain with movement.
Spondylolisthesis causes back pain because adjacent vertebra
become unstable and begins to "slip." The most common cause of
spondylolisthesis is due to degenerative changes causing loss of
the normal stabilizing structures of the spinal column. If the
spine becomes unstable enough, back pain can become a problem.
As stated earlier, backaches are hard to diagnose. The causes
listed above are just a few of the most common reasons why
people suffer with back pain. If you suffer from acute
backaches, you should meet with your physician.