Back pains the various types, causes and treatment: combating back pain

Are you into doing a lot of physical work or exercise? If yes, then you must have suffered from back pain at some point of time or the other. Pain is a part of life; however, it is all about straining the body to its upper limit – thereby causing stress to the nerves and the muscles.

Pain and particularly back pain can get very gruesome and annoying. Pain in the back can either be dull and regular pain or sharp impulsive unexpected pain which might make walking and even standing hard or difficult. Normally, it is something that you experience as you grow old but today’s hectic lifestyle and jam packed schedules cause back pain in the young adults as well. Three out of five individuals suffer from back pain today where what may seem a minor problem is indeed a major issue. To understand back pain, knowing the various kinds of back pain and the causes for the same is very important.

The upper back pain: the not so common spinal disorder

Basically back pain is classified as upper and lower back pain where the former is quite uncommon, but causes considerable amount of pain and discomfort like the latter. The lower back’s function is to provide mobility while the upper back or the thoracic spine enables us to stand and also protecting the vital internal organs of the chest.

The upper back is less prone to injury or degeneration as you age because it has limited movement and strong firmness. Myofascial pain and joint dysfunction are the main and major causes of upper back pain; it could either be due to very rare injuries like the thoracic herniated disc or a degenerated disc.

Lower back pain is the most common type of back pain experienced by almost everyone at some or other point. It is the pain experienced below the ribs and just above the legs. It is generally caused when you lift your back, reach out for something or twist.

What are the common causes of back pain?

Spasms, disk breakdown or ruptured disks, tense muscles, fractures and injuries are common causes. Certain diseases and conditions known to cause back pain are scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, arthritis, spinal stenosis, kidney stones, infection and even pregnancy. Stress is yet another common cause of back pain. Some of the other causes include being overweight, indigent physical fitness. Back pain can also be genetic or hereditary in nature. 

Back pain a cause of concern when?

Back pain can seem to be a minor problem that gets relieved when you rest properly but sometimes it might lead to major concern that would need medical attention when you experience the following signs or symptoms. Tingling or numbness, pain that prolongs even after rest, trouble while urinating, numbness in your legs, weakness, sudden loss of weight when you’re not dieting and fever, etc.

Common treatment for back aches

Hot/cold packs or sometimes both provide relief from back pain as they are known to soothe the stiff and sore back. Also, the heat of hot packs is known to decrease the muscle spasms and in turn reducing and relieving pain.cod packs are known to reduce the pain by causing a numbness that relieves the pain. But packs do not treat the root cause of back pain.

Though pain killers and pills treat back pain other alternatives if regularly followed helps to keep back pain at bay that include regular exercises that are advised and recommended by your doctor or physical therapist. Some of the topical creams and ointments that can be rubbed n the skin are known to relieve back pain.

By maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle along with proper balanced diet and avoiding junk food helps in preventing back pains. Maintaining a proper body weight is also crucial for avoiding back aches. A stress free life is also the key to a healthy back. Click here for a detailed info about how to combat the daily stress of your life, be relieved from different kinds of pains and more. You can also find solutions to the ongoing health related problems and pains. SO, what are you thinking about? It is always a good idea to grab all the right info!