Low back pain is quite common. In fact, almost everyone experiences low back pain at some point in life. Low back pain can be severe or mild. It can be long lasting or short lived. Understanding the causes can help us get the right treatment for low back pain. Moreover, we can always use the interactive tool to find out if we need surgery for our low back pain.
There are several reasons for low back pain. It could be due specific movement, like bending or lifting weight. It could also be due to age. Let us understand some of the causes of low back pain.
Over Activity
Doing too much of an activity can cause overstretching or injury of the muscles and ligament fibers. This can lead to pain and muscle soreness. For instance, doing too much yard work or shoveling can lead to low back pain. This pain usually goes away within a day or so.
Disk Injury
If lower back pain does not go away within a few days, then its cause could be a disk injury. It has been observed that disk tear, which often occurs due to age, can cause no back pain in some, while in others it can cause constant pain.
Disk herniation is another type of disk injury that can cause low back pain. Disk herniation occurs when its jelly-like center pushes against its outer ring. If the disk has been injured or worn out, then the jelly like center can push out all the way. The herniated disk can then put pressure on the sensitive spinal nerves thereby leading to low back pain. A herniated disk is often caused due to twisting, bending, pulling and lifting movements.
Disk Degeneration
As one ages, the intevertebral disk begins to wear away and shrink. Sometimes it collapses completely, causing the facets joints in the vertebrae to rub against one another. This then leads to pain and stiffness.
Disk Spondylolisthesis
Changes due to aging and normal wear and tear often make it hard for the joints and ligaments to keep the spine in normal position. This means that the vertebrae can move more than they should or one vertebra can slide over the other. This can cause the bones to press against the spinal nerves, thereby causing pain.
Spinal Stenosis
When the space around the spinal cord shrinks and puts pressure on the cord and spinal nerves, it leads to spinal stenosis. When intervertebral disks collapse and cause osteoarthritis, our body may respond to it by generating a new bone in the facet joints to help support the vertebrae. Over a period, this bone overgrowth can cause the narrowing of spinal canal and thus spinal stenosis.
Scoliosis
This refers to abnormal curve of the spine. It often develops in children during their teenage years. This can lead to low back pain.
Interactive Tool For Low Back Pain
If you have been suffering from low back problem for quite some time, you can use an interactive tool that will help you identify the need of surgery. It is not a tool that helps to diagnose back pain. Only a doctor can do diagnosis.
This interactive tool is not to be meant to be used in emergencies. For instance, if you have a back pain accompanied by fever, you should see a doctor right away. Or if your back pain is due to a serious injury, then you should consult a doctor.
However, you can always discuss the results of this interactive tool with your doctor. The tool is designed to make you more informed about your low back pain and can help, in deciding whether you need surgery or no.