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Low Back Pain - Five Common Problems
Most people suffer disabling back pain at some point in their lives. In fact, low back pain is second only to headache among the leading causes of pain.  On any given day, an estimated 6.5 million people
in the U.S. are bedridden because of back pain, and doctors treat approximately 1.5 million new cases of back pain each month.

Most cases of prolonged back pain arise from everyday activities and not from serious  injuries.  Even among athletes, back pain is seldom related to athletic activity, but is instead caused by normal physical activity.  However, people in good physical condition are less likely to have back pain. There are many conditions which can present as low back pain, the four most common being:

1.    Low back strain
2.    Herniated disc
3.    Spinal stenosis
4.    Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebrae)
5.    Sciatica

 

1.  Low Back Strain


The vast majority of people who have low back discomfort are suffering from simple "back strain".  The cause of the problem is not always clear, but it is usually from ligament or muscle strain caused either by a specific trauma or poor posture.

Low back strain can be felt either in a single spot or it can cover the entire lower back area. Occasionally the pain may even radiate to the buttocks or the back of the thigh. Radiating pain of this type does not necessarily indicate sciatica, which is discussed below.

Back strain usually presents as tenderness in the lower back and muscle spasm. The pain intensity from low back strain can be mild, moderate or severe and can put a person out of commission from a
few days to a month.

Energy healing methods such as acupressure, pain siphoning, the Hopi Pain Technique and EFT can significantly reduce the level and duration of pain.

 

2. Acute Herniated Disc


A spinal disc herniation is a medical condition affecting the spine, in which a tear in the outer, fibrous ring of an intervertebral disc allows the soft, central portion  to bulge out.

It would be sort of like having the soft core of a golf ball come through the tightly wound twine of rubber.  Most disc ruptures happen mid-life between the ages of 30 and 50.They usually occur in the lower back.

A herniated disc can be very painful and the pain may occasionally radiate down the leg.  The pain is usually described as sharp and stabbing.

Treatment options differ for each type of herniation.  It has been found that, while surgery can bring some relief, in the long term the problem resolves itself.


3. Spinal Stenosis


Spinal stenosis is defined as narrowing of the spinal canal mechanical pressure within the spinal cord on the nerve structures will depend upon the degree of narrowing.  Every person's spine becomes narrower with age.  The symptoms a person will have depend on the original size of the canal;  if the spinal canal is small, the changes caused by aging of the disc and other structures of the spine can lead to an absolute compression of these nerve structures. If, however, the spinal canal is large to begin with, the aging process will only lead to an asymptomatic relative spinal stenosis without nerve compression.

The majority of patients with spinal stenosis, especially the degenerative (secondary to the aging process) can be treated non-surgically.  Usually the symptoms are intermittent and the patient will often require encouragement in getting through these episodes without getting depressed.  Non-surgical treatment is preferable as long as the pain is tolerable without nerve damage which affects function.

 

4.  Spondylolisthesis


Spondylolisthesis is a spinal condition where all or a part of a vertebrae has slipped on another.  The cause of this occurrence may be inherited, due to a small fracture, related to natural aging process, related to injury, or pathologic (relating to a disease process such as cancer).

The degree of slip varies from patient to patient and can range from minimal displacement to complete dislocation of the vertebra. Increased slipping rarely occurs after the age of 20 unless there has
been a severe superimposed injury or surgical intervention.  The period of most rapid progression coincides with the rapid growth spurt between the ages of nine and fifteen.

The most common symptom of Spondylolisthesis is low back pain.

Once the symptoms begin, the patient usually has constant low grade back discomfort that is aggravated by activity and relieved by rest. There are some periods during which the pain is more intense than
others, but unless the picture is complicated by severe leg pain, total incapacitation is rare.  The patient seldom identifies any weakness or abnormal changes in sensation.


5. Sciatica


Sciatica, which is sciatic nerve pain, is considered to result from irritation or inflammation of the nerve roots.  Two nerve roots principally make up the sciatic nerve.  These are the fifth lumbar and
the first sacral nerve roots, and they are the nerve roots that radiate down the back portion of the thigh, calf, ankle and toes.  The cause of the mechanical pressure on the nerve root can be a herniated
disc, piriformis muscle or iliopsoas muscle.

Statistics show that no more than 5-10% of patients with sciatica require surgery.   Sciatica usually occurs in patients in their forties and fifties.  Men and woman are equally affected in regards to low back pain, but women more often report low back symptoms after the age
of 60.


Summary


This brief introduction of the four most common causes of back pain is by no means comprehensive nor complete.  There are a great many conditions which may cause back pain including cancer, infection, post
pregnancy, osteoporosis, hormonal imbalances, arthritis, poor posture, etc. 


Back pain sufferers - Take Heart!!

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Low Back Pain...Do You Know these 3 Essential Facts?
 
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