Back pain
Causes of back pain
It’s not always possible to determine the exact cause of back pain, but it’s rarely anything serious, such as a structural damage, etc. Usually back pain gets better within a few weeks.
Some of the factors that may cause back pain are:-
- Muscle or ligament strain due to incorrect lifting of heavy objects and sudden awkward movements
- Strain as a result of over-activity.
- Interestingly back pain may also be due to psychological factors, such as mental stress and depression.
- Medical conditions such as slipped (prolapsed) disc, sciatica, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylolisthesis, arthritis and osteoporosis.
When to see a doctor
Call your doctor if you have following symptoms:
- back pain radiating to lower leg
- Early morning stiffness
- difficulty in turning in bed
- pain in the tailbone
- catch in the lower back or back giving way during sit to stand
- loss of bowel or bladder control
- numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs, especially if pain extends below the knee
- Follows a trauma, such as a fall or a blow to the back
- intense, constant pain that gets worse at night
- accompanied with unexplained weight loss
- presence of fever
Treatment of back pain
Below are some common treatments that are likely to be suggested.
- Try to remain active and limit bed rest
- Exercise and maintain a healthy weight
- Quit smoking
- Improve posture while sitting, standing, lifting
- Physiotherapy
