A guide to the most common causes of back pain
The causes of back pain can be simple or very complicated and difficult to diagnose. When trying to get to the root of your back pain problem, begin with the simplest explanations because those are the causes that are most likely to be present.
Muscle strains are a very common cause of back pain. Muscle strains occur when out-of-shape back muscles are used without conditioning (attention weekend warriors), you are engaged in stressful repetitive behavior such as sitting in a poorly designed chair or using a computer keyboard.
Disc and vertebrae problems are a second common cause of back pain. When vertebral disks are stressed they can rupture and leak a jelly-like fluid that reduces the disk's ability to cushion the spine; the jelly can also put pressure on the nerves. The pain will normally be in the lower back, and there may be pain down one or both legs to the calves, feet or toes. In this case, the pain is sometimes called sciatica because the nerve that runs down each leg is called the sciatic nerve.
Other causes of back pain can be various diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and kidney disease. These kinds of problem are more likely to be the case if back pain starts gradually, gets worse over time, and seems unrelated to the level of activity.
Most attacks of simple back pain last only a few days and get better on their own. But if you have any of the following symptoms in addition to back pain, you should see a doctor as soon as possible since these symptoms suggest more serious causes of back pain:
* fever,
* redness or swelling on the back,
* pain down the legs and below the knees,
* numbness or weakness in one or both legs,
* Loss of bladder or bowel control.
Your causes of back pain may also be more serious if:
* pain lasts longer than a week,
* pain is the result of an injury, a fall or a blow to the back,
* pain lasts for more than a few days in someone aged under 20 or over 55
The more you know about the causes of back pain, the better you will be able to determine the best course of action.
