Root Causes Of Lower Back Pain

By John Petersen

All of us at one time or another has most likely experienced back pain. If you turn the wrong way or perhaps if you lifted something incorrectly, you can easily injure yourself. He might have felt a little pull fall by a sharp pain in the low back. This unfortunately is very common and widespread. In fact back pain is one of the top complaints in the workplace. There are a wide variety of potential causes for low back pain; we take a look at some of the more common ones.

The lower back consist of five intervertebral discs. These are often referred to as the lumbar. These discs are stacked on top of each other. They are separated by soft tissue, tendons, ligaments and muscles. The bones provide the structure and rigidity while the soft tissue provides for flexibility.

We are more susceptible to problems in the lower back as we age. This is compounded by the changes in our work habits. Many of our work hours are spent sitting in fixed positions. This is especially true for those who work on computers.

Flexibility is your lower back is its most important asset. Especially, maintaining the flexibility of the soft tissues between the cervical disc bones. These areas must maintain the ability to transmit weight between the upper and lower body. This requires strength and flexibility.

Some of the more common causes of lower back pain are muscle strain, injury and overuse. Lower back pain is interesting because small strain causes the other muscles and disc to take up the slack. If something is injured, the other areas of the body must make up for this reduced capability.

Stress and tension can build up in the body from sitting in a given position for long periods. Another way this can happen is through improper posture. These cause tension to the spine because it is not being used in its most optimal position.

If we sit for long hours, the weight of our body is absorbed by the spinal column. If these it in and improper position, the weight may be concentrated in certain areas. This can cause fatigue to the soft tissues and muscles between the cervical discs. As these areas fatigue, they become stiff and begins to hurt.

There is a cumulative affect with injuries to the lower back. When one injury occurs it can cause the spine to become out of balance. Many times we don't notice that we are changing our posture in sitting position because of these types of injuries. These must be corrected to restore proper balance in the spine.

There are two main categories of lower back pain. The first is chronic and the second is acute. In the case of chronic back pain, it is much more serious than acute. Chronic back pain may come from serious conditions such as degenerative arthritis, degenerative disc disease or spinal disc herniation. These conditions may require surgery and physical therapy.

Acute back pain generally comes from damaged muscles, tendons, or ligaments. It generally strikes a person suddenly. This may be the result of lifting too much weight or a sudden movement of the body. These are generally treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, chiropractic manipulation, exercise and massage therapy.

If you suffer from lower back pain, you should seek out natural treatments if at all possible. Stretching exercise and massage chair therapy can be very therapeutic and relieving of pain and discomfort. Check with your medical professional as to your situation and they are recommendations.

Most of the common causes of acute back pain are preventable. Make sure you have proper ergonomic seating, maintain proper posture and advised by proper lifting techniques. These will go along way to preventing injury to your back. Also maintain a proper diet, exercise frequently and relieve stress with a relaxing massage. - 32188

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