An Extra Large Bosom Causes Back Pain
It is a difficult thing to be a woman who has to worry constantly about her figure. Society has...
Slipped Disc and Back Pain
Back pain, especially when the pain is in the lower back, commonly shows itself in the form of...
Support Groups for Back Pain Sufferers
When you feel unwell, no matter what the medical issue is that you are dealing with you can feel...

Some Causes of Lower Back Pain

Back Pain Index

Back Pain Ebook

Back Pain Sitemap

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Interesting Info on Back Pain

Discogram Searches for Answer to Back Pain
When a person experiences chronic back aches they will eventually have to see their health care provider for some answers to the cause of this continuing back pain. After going through the first steps of an examination, personal history, a complete...read up on back pain
Kidney Infections Cause Back Pain
There are so many sources of back pain that a person often needs to see their health care provider to determine which cause they are suffering with. Before doing this the best thing to do is write down your symptoms and then you will know what to...read up on back pain
Obesity is a Cause of Back Pain
heavier than they should be do not recognize their weight as a factor of their back pain. Perhaps one of the reasons is that not all people who are overweight consider it a problem. Many maintain a consistent weight and are happy with the way they...read up on back pain
Osteopathy helps Back Pain
The practice of osteopathy is known by some as alternative medicine and yet it is not that far removed from the practice of chiropractic medicine. Although each field likes to keep the differences between themselves they both use hands on...read up on back pain
Socioeconomic Implications of Back Pain
Although on the one hand it is a shock to consider that back pain costs billions across America in lose of work time, lower productively and increased health care bills when one considers that eighty percent of all Americans will suffer back pain at...read up on back pain
Tai Chi or Yoga Ease Back Pain
When talking to your health care provider on what to do about back pain there answers are usually the same. That is because Western cultures rely far too much on anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers. Perhaps it is time to take a look at...read up on back pain
Teenagers Suffer Sports Injuries that Cause Worrisome Back Pain
One of the groups of people most likely to wind up with an injury of some kind is adolescent sportspersons. These teenage athletes playing contact sports can wind up with a particular type of injury to the spine. It is often a stress fracture of the...read up on back pain
The Back Pain of Scoliosis
Sometimes back pain can be caused by a condition of the spine called scoliosis. This condition occurs when the spine is not straight. Depending on where the curve starts scoliosis can also deform the ribs causing them to push the chest out in front...read up on back pain
Treating Back Pain at Home
So many people suffer from back pain that it has become a common ailment. This pain can be caused by a variety of problems, the most frequent of which consist of muscle strain, herniated disc, or pinched nerves. There are certainly many more things...read up on back pain
Understand Why the Spine Suffers From Back Pain
With back pain being such a common problem, eighty percent of Americans will suffer from it at some point in their lives, a better understanding of the complexities of the spine may help those who suffer back pain get a clearer idea on how the whole...read up on back pain

Teenagers Suffer Sports Injuries that Cause Worrisome Back Pain

New Mother s Need to Learn How to Avoid Back Pain

Osteopathy helps Back Pain

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What is Back Pain?

Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility and range of motion, or an inability to stand straight. Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

Currently, researchers are examining the use of different drugs to effectively treat back pain, in particular, chronic pain that has lasted at least 6 months. Other studies are comparing different health care approaches to the management of acute low back pain (standard care versus chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy). These studies are measuring symptom relief, restoration of function, and patient satisfaction.


Some Causes of Lower Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common problems suffered by the adult American population. Lower back pain is amongst the worst of these problems. There can be many reasons for lower back pain so the first thing you must do before considering treatment of any kind is to try to determine the cause of the back pain. Before your back began to hurt did you have an injury of any kind? This includes things like falling, or throwing your back, which can happen with a strong sneeze, which causes you to move sharply, or perhaps you lifted something that strained the muscles in your lower back. Any of these could be the culprit. If it is an injury you should see your health care provider. They will likely give you an anti-inflammatory and some simple exercises to do to relieve the pain.

Is the lower back pain that you are experiencing worsening when you bend over or lift even the lightest item? Is the pain remaining in your lower back, not traveling up anywhere? If so you may be experiencing muscle spasm, a pulled muscle or compression of a nerve. In this case you will need similar treatment to when you injure your back. Your health care provide will give you a prescription for an anti-inflammatory, and suggest bed rest for a couple of days with regular heating pad or hot water bottle sessions. After this couple of days the physician will want you do to some gentle exercises to strengthen your back muscles so this does not happen again. If the pain doesn't get better in a week you should go to see your physician again.

Are you pregnant? This can cause lower back pain especially as the pregnancy comes into the third trimester. As long as its only back pain a mild heat treatment should help. If it gets worse or you have a fever or any bleeding with the back pain see your health care provider immediately. These symptoms could be signs of a problem.

A herniated disc can also cause some serious lower back pain. If you have pain that radiates from your lower spine down into your knee, ankle or simply down your leg these are signs that should be reported to your health care provider. But, if you have sudden weakness in your legs, or you lose bowel or bladder control, which are also signs of a herniated disc, you should get to the nearest emergency unit of a hospital. Have your physician meet you there if they have been following your back problems.

Does a rash accompany your back pain? Is it on your chest and back? If this rash looks similar to blisters, and feels like it is burning you likely have shingles. Shingles is a form of chickenpox that usually attacks a person over fifty. This can be very uncomfortable so your doctor will need to prescribe medications for you.

Whatever causes your back pain don't let it remain untreated.

Written by: Scott Parat

Is there any treatment?

Most low back pain can be treated without surgery. Treatment involves using over-the-counter pain relievers to reduce discomfort and anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce inflammation.  Medications are often used to treat acute and chronic low back pain. Effective pain relief may involve a combination of prescription drugs and over-the-counter remedies.  Although the use of cold and hot compresses has never been scientifically proven to quickly resolve low back injury, compresses may help reduce pain and inflammation and allow greater mobility for some individuals.  Bed rest is recommended for only 1–2 days at most.  Individuals should resume activities as soon as possible. 

Back Pain Issues in the News

07/22/2008
Gobble admits back pain, heads to DL (MLB.com)
Gobble off to DL with bad back

Gobble admits back pain, heads to DL (MLB.com)

07/24/2008
New Spine-health.com Survey Shows 50% of Workers Absent 10 or More Days in Past Year Due to Back Pain (Centre Daily Times)
A new online survey by Spine-health (www.spine-health.com) shows that back and neck pain and their related health problems are causing productivity troubles at the workplace. The Spine-health.com survey of more than 750 respondents found that 50 percent reported missing work for 10 or more days due to back-related problems. Another 29 percent of respondents said chronic pain kept them off the ...

New Spine-health.com Survey Shows 50% of Workers Absent 10 or More Days in Past Year Due to Back Pain (Centre Daily Times)

07/24/2008
House Call: Back pain can be caused by arthritis (North County Journal)
Most of us never consider that the back pain we are experiencing might be a form of arthritis. In fact, the pain caused by lumbar facet arthritis can be extremely severe and should be addressed by a physician, specifically a pain medicine specialist.

House Call: Back pain can be caused by arthritis (North County Journal)

07/24/2008
Gymnastics: Pain no barrier to Beijing for Hamms (The Columbus Dispatch)
The reddish tinge to the 2½-inch surgical scar on the back of Paul Hamm's right hand serves as evidence that what caused it to blossom there eight weeks ago remains a matter of current events.

Gymnastics: Pain no barrier to Beijing for Hamms (The Columbus Dispatch)

07/23/2008
Back pain makes Chalupa quiver, reject food (Miami Herald)
Q. My dog Chalupa (a Chihuahua mix) started shivering and shaking and didn't want to eat his morning meal (a rare event). I took him to his vet, who determined that he had pain in his middle back. He had X-rays (which were normal) and he's now on pain medication. The problem is that he's still shaking occasionally, refuses to jump and isn't eating well. Could something else be wrong?

Back pain makes Chalupa quiver, reject food (Miami Herald)

07/23/2008
CASE RECORDS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: Case 23-2008 -- A 26-Year-Old Man with Back Pain and a Mass in the ... (New England Journal of Medicine)
A 26-year-old man experienced the sudden onset of back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a pathologic fracture of the T9 vertebral body. A chest radiograph and computed tomography of the chest showed a mass in the upper lobe of the left lung, with involvement of the hilar and mediastinal structures. Diagnostic testing was performed, and a management decision was made.

CASE RECORDS OF THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL: Case 23-2008 -- A 26-Year-Old Man with Back Pain and a Mass in the ... (New England Journal of Medicine)

07/24/2008
New Spine-health.com Survey Shows 50% of Workers Absent 10 or More Days in Past Year Due to Back Pain (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
CHICAGO----A new online survey by Spine-health shows that back and neck pain and their related health problems are causing productivity troubles at the workplace. The Spine-health.com survey of more than 750 respondents found that 50 percent reported missing work for 10 or more days due to back-related problems.

New Spine-health.com Survey Shows 50% of Workers Absent 10 or More Days in Past Year Due to Back Pain (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

07/23/2008
Back pain makes Chalupa quiver, reject food (Miami Herald)
Q. My dog Chalupa (a Chihuahua mix) started shivering and shaking and didn't want to eat his morning meal (a rare event). I took him to his vet, who determined that he had pain in his middle back. He had X-rays (which were normal) and he's now on pain medication. The problem is that he's still shaking occasionally, refuses to jump and isn't eating well. Could something else be wrong?

Back pain makes Chalupa quiver, reject food (Miami Herald)

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