The Cause of Back Pain

The Cause of Back Pain

By far the most common causes of back pain are strained muscles or displaced vertebrae. It is very easy, particularly if your back is not kept strong and flexible, to move suddenly or lift something the wrong way and hurt your back. Back pain which is caused by either of those situations will usually get better with a bit of time. However, there are some other situations can either cause back pain or make the existing pain even worse. Sometimes having the wrong mattress or wrong kind of desk chair will cause too much stress in your muscles. Other times, habitually poor posture will either cause or worsen back pain just because your muscles won’t be allowed to recover properly. Pregnant women will often experience back pain because of the uterus pressing on their sciatic nerve, and the only effective cure for that is giving birth. If the cause of your back pain is a temporary one, then you can simply weather the experience and then get on with your life. On the other hand, if your back pain has another cause, it is important to find that cause if you want to rid yourself of your back pain.

The Kinds of Back Pain

There are many different kinds of back pain, but they all have one thing in common – they hurt. Temporary back pain is most usually caused by one of three things: strained muscles, displaced vertebrae, or a pinched nerve. Often the cause of the back pain is two of those three conditions. The kind of back pain you experience will affect which kind of treatment you should use. Strained muscles are very common, and the pain they cause can range from irritating to excruciating. If the back pain can be managed, though, the muscles often heal themselves. Displaced vertebrae cause a completely different kind of pain. While the pain can be masked with painkillers, it won’t go away until the spine either re-aligns itself or is corrected by a chiropractor. Pinched nerves can often heal themselves as well, but in the meantime the back pain they cause can be very sharp and intense, making it difficult to move at all. Again, some medications can help, but for the pain to go away, the nerve must be released from whatever is pinching it . Back pain can sometimes be blunted, but it will have to either heal itself or be fixed in order to really go away.

Managing Back Pain

The worst kind of back pain you can have is the kind that doesn’t go away. When your back pain is caused by a chronic condition, such as an injured or degenerating spine, then you must focus on managing the back pain so that you can still function. Medication is by far the most common means of managing back pain, but it must be chosen carefully and your condition must be constantly monitored. Nearly all medications have some side effects, especially when taken long term, so both you and your doctor should review your situation regularly. Sometimes physical therapy can lessen your back pain, particularly if that therapy is specifically tailored to your condition. Back braces can also help to ease your back pain. The braces can be restrictive, but even wearing them temporarily can help lower your pain level. The key to living with chronic back pain is finding the right level of pain relief. You have to be able to walk, drive and operate whatever machine allows you to make a living. Consequently, powerful drugs or restrictive braces aren’t good long-term choices. However, some kind of pain management is necessary if you still have to live and work with back pain.