Are you experiencing back pain in Glendale, AZ? Contact We Care Chiropractic, we can help you relieve your back pain and more.

As much as back pain is disruptive to our lives, it is usually not a serious health problem. Missing work and frequent doctors visits can be problematic. The common ages for back pain are between 35 and 55 years of age. However, back pain can be a problem for people younger and especially older than that range. According to experts back pain has is associated with the way the ligaments, bones, and muscles work together in our backs.

Back Pain Causes

Lower back pain can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. It can be caused by problems with our skeletal system such as; bad discs between vertebrae, bony lumbar spine, and worn ligaments around discs and spine. The nervous system can also contribute to back pain. Problems with the nerves in the back or spinal cord issues can cause back pain. In addition back pain can be caused by disorders with organs, such as kidney or gall stones.

Some causes of back pain are never found; just the symptoms and pain are controlled. Here is a list of common or possible causes for back pain.

Structural Issues In The Back – There are a series of structural problems that can cause pain in the back, the following are potential causes.

• An unnatural curvature of the spine can cause intense back pain, and even migraines in some cases. Scoliosis is an example of spinal curvature, where the spine curves to one side.
• Bulging disks in the spine can cause pressure on a nerve which will cause significant pain.
• Ruptured disks can also cause serious back pain. The disks are cushions between the sections of the spine. When they are damaged nerves are pinched or pressed on.
• Arthritis can be a common cause of pain in the hands, knees, hips and back. There is a potential for spinal stenosis, the chambers around the spinal cord narrow. This causes nagging and significant discomfort.
• Sciatica is another cause of back pain. It is a sharp pain that shoots down from the back into the buttock and legs. It is caused by a herniated or bulging disk that is putting pressure on a nerve.
• Osteoporosis can lead to fractures in the entire body. The spine is no different and the brittle or porous bones can easily break leading to terrible pain.

Strain On The Back – This can be strain on the ligaments or muscles. It can be cause by lifting something too heavy, or lifting improperly. It can also happen if we make abrupt or awkward movement.

Other Disorders & Factors Leading To Back Pain

Apart from strain or structural issues in the back there are other disorders or conditions that can amplify or cause our back pain. Here’s a list of other disorders or conditions to consider when trying to track down the cause of your back pain.

Old or Inappropriate Mattress – Believe it or not even if you have bought a brand new mattress it might not be right for your back. Depending on height, weight, and a variety of other factors certain styles of mattress are not as good as others. This is why most good mattress stores have some type of in home trail period with an exchange possible if you simply can’t sleep on the mattress.

Shingles – Shingles can cause pain all over the body, including the back. It is an infection that can have a significant effect on the nerves which causes significant pain.

Infections In The Spine – An infection of the spine is a serious condition. If there is even a chance of infection immediately take a temperature of the patient and if there is a fever, take this situation serious. They will have an elevated temperature and an unusually warm spot on the back where the infection is.

Problems Sleeping – Patients with sleep disorders like insomnia are at a greater risk for back pain. The strain of sleep deprivation tends to but strain on every system of the body and can cause a myriad of issues.

Even the skin and muscular system can be a source of lower back pain. Clearly professional medical diagnosis is the key to finding the source of your pain and effectively treating it.

Back Pain Symptoms

Symptoms are something that you notice or feel in your body. Signs are something your family or friends might notice. A good example is a symptom is pain in your lower back, while a sign might be your coworkers noticing a expression of pain when you lift.

If you have back pain it’s no secret to you that the primary symptom of pain is the pain or ache in your back. Occasionally this pain can radiate down the legs and buttocks. Luckily the body usually heals itself and signs and symptoms will clear up on their own.

See a doctor for any of these signs or symptoms;

Unintentional weight loss

Fever

Swelling in the back

Persistent pain in the back

Pain down the legs

Pain that reaches below the knees

Pain down the legs

Pain that reaches below the knees

Any type of numbness in the pelvic area

Difficulty Urinating

Categorizing Back Pain

With careful attention and home treatment the vast majority of back pain resolves itself. Like most injuries rest can help relieve pack pain, but too much can actually create new problems. Rest should be limited to a couple days. Pain can usually be managed with over the counter painkillers.

Typically there are two types of back pain:

Chronic Back Pain – This type of back pain is characterized by pain that develops gradually over a long period of time. It also needs to last longer than 3 months and cause long-term back pain problems.

Acute Back Pain – Back pain that has sudden onset, meaning that pain suddenly comes on or lasts for a max of 3 months is categorized as acute back pain.

A large percentage of back pain patients report having both types of pain. An underlying constant ache is present, and then sudden bouts of intense pain. This commonality makes the diagnosis and treatment of back pain tricky for medical professionals.

Types of Back Pain Treatments

Depending on the type and location of pain your physician will recommend different type of treatments. Here is a look at some of the common back pain treatments.

Pharmaceutical Medications – If a patient hasn’t responded to, or found sufficient relief with over the counter painkillers, a doctor may prescribe other medications. NSAID anti-inflammatory prescriptions are common. Stronger pain killers may be prescribed for short durations. These are habit forming and require the monitoring by the physician.

Regenerative Cell Injections – A new and promising technology in the treatment of degenerative disc disease has come out of Duke University in North Carolina. A biomaterial is injected into the spine which repairs discs and eliminates back pain caused by degenerative disc disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Injections – If the pain is radiating to the legs doctors might recommend an injection of cortisone into the epidural space. This is the space surrounding the spinal cord. It helps reduce inflammation around the roots of the nerves. The duration of relief is about 6 weeks.

Botox can also be injected into the epidural space, it isn’t an inflammatory drug but it paralysis the sprained muscles. This halts their spasms and controls the pain. The duration for this treatment lasts about 3 to 4 months.

Surgery For Back Pain – Using surgery to solve back pain is exceedingly rare and is usually associated with a herniated disk. This is a last resort and usually only done if there is nerve compression and pain that is causing weakness in the muscles. There are few different types of surgery that are possible to help with pain in the back. They are not limited to but include the following:

• Installing an Artificial Disk – If the disk has worn down or been broken a replacement disc can be inserted between the vertebrae.
• Alteration of Vertebra – If the vertebra is pinching nerves or the spinal cord a section of it can be removed. This makes it so the vertebra or nerves don’t get pinched.
• Alteration of a Disk – Disks can pinch and put pressure on nerves like the vertebra themselves. The discs can be altered so that a portion of the material is removed. This is called a disectomy of a spinal disk.
• Vertebral Fusion – There are cases where the fusing of vertebra can relieve back pain. This is done by either setting a cage around the two vertebras that are to be fused or with a series of plates and screws.

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