Diagnosing and Treating Back Pain

For most of us that were once hardcore athletes when we were younger or continue to be weekend warriors, aches and pains are commonplace. Before many of the breakthroughs in pain relief and pain management, most of us simply take a few ibuprofens and suffer through the pain. The most common pain that almost everyone seems to complain of is the dreaded lower back pain. Low back pain (or lumbago) is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting 80% of people at some point in their lives. It accounts for more sick leave and disability than any other medical condition. It is easy to write this pain off, however this can pose significant issues later in life. The question truly is how do we alleviate this pain and stop our dependence on over the counter drugs?



Lower back pain is extremely common and can generally be classified into acute lower back pain and mild to moderate lower back pain. It is not always possible to make a precise diagnosis of a specific back injury or condition which might be causing lower back pain. However, this should not prevent the back pain from being managed or treated. Perhaps the reason that this complaint is so common is that there are numerous conditions that can elicit lower back pain.



The most common cause of low back pain is simply injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, facet joints, and the sacroiliac joints. This is extremely prevalent for people playing sports where repetition is required to master their craft. This repetition can be further exacerbated by pressure on nerve roots in the spinal canal. This compression can be caused by a herniated disc, often brought on by repeated vibration or motion. These injuries are found in weigh lifters as well as people whose professions require assembly line types of behavior.



As people age, Osteoarthritis (joint degeneration), can develop. When osteoarthritis affects the small facet joints in the spine, it can lead to back pain. Osteoarthritis in other joints, such as the hips, can cause you to limp or to change the way you walk. This can also lead to back pain. These are just a few of the common plights causing back pain and the list seems to be continually growing.