The Ten Most Asked Questions About Back Pain - Back Pain FAQs

1) What Is Back Pain?
Back pain is one of the most common ailments suffered by millions of people across the globe. It can range from a dull, constant pain to a sudden, shooting pain in the spinal region that can even turn people immobile.

2) What Are The Symptoms Of Back Pain?
Generally, the symptoms include pain felt during physical activities like walking, bending, sitting for a long period of time or playing. The pain can also be accompanied by numbness in the legs.

3) What Are The Risk Factors Associated With Back Pain?
Though each and every one of us is equally vulnerable to back pain, there are few factors such as age, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet, diseases like arthritis or sciatica, smoking and occupational hazards that are the common risk factors for back pain.

4) What Are The Common Causes Of Back Pain?
Some of the common causes of back pain are muscle strain due to poor posture or injury, infection, tumor and diseases like herniated disc, spinal stenosis, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. Even excessive mental stress can have an adverse effect on the back.

5) What Is Difference Between Acute And Chronic Pain?
Acute pain generally comes on quickly and often leaves just as quickly. It is the most common type of back pain and is generally cured within 5-6 weeks. It can be caused due to a sudden fall or lifting of a very heavy object. On the other hand, chronic pain stays with the sufferer for a long time. If the back pain lasts for more that 3 months, it can be termed as chronic.

6) How Can Back Pain Be Prevented?
Almost all types of back pain can be prevented by regular exercise, proper diet and improved posture.

7) When Should One Consult A Doctor?
Generally, most of the cases of back pain are treated at home with bed rest and medication. However if the pain is quite severe and does not go away even after medication or you are feeling numbness around the affected area, you should consult a doctor. Please check with your doctor if the pain is accompanied by any of the following problems: weakness, fever, numbness in the legs, weight loss, etc. These could be symptoms of some serious ailments such as kidney infection or tumor.

8) How To Diagnose Back Pain?
After doing the physical checkup and taking your medical history, if your doctor wants, he can recommend some other tests such as X-rays, MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) scan, CT (Computed tomography) scan and blood tests including CBC (to check for infection/inflammation) and Erythrocyte sedimentation rate or ESD rate (to check for infection/arthritis/tumor).

9) Which Exercises Can Help Reduce Back Pain?
Exercises make your body fitter and stronger. To reduce back pain, you should do aerobic exercises like walking, jogging or swimming that help in reducing excess weight; core strengthening exercises that make the core muscles – abdomen, back and pelvic – stronger as well as stretching exercises that are effective in making the muscles stronger and flexible. Yoga is also effective in treating back pain since it affects both the body and mind.

10) Which Are The Treatments Available For Back Pain?
Generally, acute back pain is treated by over the counter medications that include NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen etc). For persistent pain, the available treatments are TENS (Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation), Acupuncture, Chiropractic care, physical therapy and in some severe cases such as sciatica or cauda equina syndrome, even surgery is recommended.