There are some medical conditions that can cause back pain, they include:
A slipped disc (prolapsed or herniated disc)
The spinal column is made up of a series of bones that are stacked onto each other. From top to bottom, the column involves seven bones in cervical spine, 12 in thoracic spine, and five in the lumbar spine, followed by the sacrum at the base. These bones are cushioned by discs. The discs save the bones by absorbing the shocks from daily activities like walking, lifting, and twisting.
There are two parts of each disc: a soft, gelatinous inner part and a tough outer ring. Injury or any type of weakness can cause the inner part of the disc to protrude through the outer ring. This is known as a slipped or prolapsed disc. This causes pain and discomfort. If the slipped disc presses one of your spinal nerves, you may also experience numbness and pain along the affected nerve. In severe pain, you may be advised surgery to remove or repair the slipped disc.
Symptoms of a slipped disc
You can have a slipped disc in any part of your spine, it can start from your neck to your lower back. The lower back is one of the more common places for slipped disc problems. Your spinal column is a twisted network of nerves and blood vessels. A slipped disc can place heavy pressure on the nerves and muscles around it.
Symptoms of a slipped disc include:
- Pain and numbness, most of the cases on one side of the body
- Pain that increases in your arms or legs
- Pain that increases at night or with any movements
- Pain that increases after standing or sitting
- Pain when walking for a short distance
- Muscle weakness that can’t be explained
- Numbness, aching, or burning sensations in the affected area
The types of pain can be different from person to person. Consult your doctor if your pain results in numbness or tingling that affects your ability to control your muscles.
Causes of slipped discs
A slipped disc problem occurs when the outer ring gets weak or torn and allows the inner part to slip out. Mostly this can happen because of age. Certain motions may also cause a slipped disc. A disc can slip out of place when you are twisting or turning to lift an object. Lifting a heavy object can place great strain on the lower back, resulting in a slipped disc. If you have a physically demanding job that requires a lot of lifting, you may be at a higher risk for slipped discs.
Being overweight also puts an individual at risk for a slipped disc because their discs must support the additional weight. Weak muscles and a sedentary lifestyle may also play a main role in the development of a slipped disc.
There are various diagnostic tests that can help your doctor to view the bones and muscles of your spine and identify any damaged areas. Examples of some of these scans and tests include:
- X-rays
- CT scans
- MRI scans
- Discography
Your doctor can use these test reports to check and analyze what is causing your pain, weakness, or discomfort.
Treatments for a slipped disc
Carry on your movement – but with caution
If you have a slipped disc problem, you must immediately get it checked by a doctor and follow his/her recommended method of treatment. Often, it is advised that the person carries on their movement as usual but certainly with a lot more caution. However, if the pain is really bad, then it is recommended to try for minimal movement on a range that is comfortable for the patient so that they can gradually get back to their normal activities. Patients should be careful to not do something that can cause a lot of pain.
Movement under clinical advice and observation is certainly not harmful, though there might be some initial discomfort when the patient tries to keep themselves active. It is advised that you keep yourself at least slightly active instead of completely resting when you are trying to recover from back pain. Also try to more natural sleep on a comfortable surface in a comfortable position.
Do Exercise
If you have a slipped disc problem, exercise is important. Physiotherapy treatment for back pain strengthening the muscles that support your spine. Although one cannot suggest which specific exercise is right for a certain spinal problem, a physiotherapist is the right person to check your problem and advise a course of treatment exercises focused on solving your specific problem. Exercise not only reduces the pain of a slipped disc, but may also reduce the chances of it happening again.
Physical treatments
In cases of slipped disc physical treatment is beneficial and regular exercise can keep it from happening again. People can relieve slipped disc pain by using physical exercise that stretches and strengthens the back and its muscles. A physiotherapist may advise exercises that can strengthen your back and reduce your pain.
Medication
If your slipped disc problem is so bad that you want to take pain killers, then it should be taken under clinical discretion and the recommended dosage should be followed strictly. Missing your medicines can lead to further aggravation of the condition. A strict compliance of the recommended dosage by your doctor can enable you to exercise and keep yourself active more easily.
Surgery
In some cases,however, surgery is the only option. As a general recommendation, surgery should be considered only when the symptoms are very severe and are not improving even after prolonged treatment. This is the rarest of the rare case, because in about 9 out of every 10 people with a slipped disc problem, the symptoms usually recover completely with non-surgical treatment or they are not bad enough to warrant surgery this time.
Sciatica
Sciatica is a nerve pain problem in the leg that is caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica starts from the lower back, radiates deep into the buttock, and travels down the leg.
This Sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body. It starts in your lower back and runs through your hips, buttocks, legs, and feet on both sides. Bone spurs and spinal stenosis (narrowing) can also place pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back. When it happens, it can cause a lot of problems all the way down the nerve.
Risk Factors of Sciatica
Age Factor: Most often, it is found in people who are 30 to 40 years old.
Gain Extra Weight: Extra weight can place pressure on your spine, which means people who are overweight and pregnant women have a greater chance of getting a slipped disk
Diabetes can also cause nerve damage.
Your work Working with heavy lifting or prolonged sitting can damage disks.
Treatment of Sciatica
Most people with sciatica get better in a few weeks without surgery. A short-term solution to relieve the pain can be painkillers upon the recommendation of a doctor on call.
Your doctor may also recommend putting cold packs on your lower back for a couple of days and then switching to hot packs for a few days after that. There are also many physiotherapy movements focused on stretches for your lower-back and sciatic pain relief.
While your first instinct upon developing sciatica may be to rest and take it easy, it is more important for you to keep moving. Because prolonged sitting or resting may cause the nerve to get irritated in that spot and staying in motion will reduce the inflammation instead.
If home remedies do not work, your doctor may prescribe stronger medication, like anti-inflammatories or muscle relaxants. You should also try physical therapy, acupuncture, or chiropractic care.
If your pain lasts for more than 3 months, it might be time for surgery. It’s advised to go to your doctor immediately if your sciatica causes severe pain and weakness, numbness, or loss of bladder/bowel function.
Ankylosing spondylitis
Ankylosing Spondylitis is a rare type of arthritis that causes pain and stiffness in your spine. It starts from your lower back and can spread up to your neck or damage joints in other parts of the body.
There is no cure for Ankylosing Spondylitis, but medication and exercise can reduce your pain and strengthen your bones.
Ankylosing Spondylitis is an inflammatory disease that can cause some of the small bones in your spine (vertebrae) to fuse. After this fusing the spine is less flexible and can result in a hunched-forward posture.
Ankylosing Spondylitis affects men more than women. Signs and symptoms begin in early adulthood. Inflammation can also occur in other parts of your body — most often, your eyes.
There is no cure for Ankylosing Spondylitis, but treatments can lessen your symptoms and possibly reduce the severity of your disease.
Symptoms
Early symptoms of Ankylosing Spondylitis may include pain and stiffness in your lower back and hips, especially in the morning and after periods of inactivity. Neck pain and fatigue are also common. Over time, symptoms might improve, or stop at irregular intervals.
The areas most affected are:
- The joint that is in between the base of your spine and pelvis
- The vertebrae in your lower back
- Tendons and ligaments that are attaching to bones, mainly in your spine, but sometimes along the back of your heel
- The cartilage between your breastbone and ribs
- Your hip and shoulder joints
Risk factors
Sex: Men are likely to develop Ankylosing Spondylitis than women.
Your age: Generally, it occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood.
Heredity: People who have Ankylosing Spondylitis have the HLA-B27 gene. But many people with this gene never develop Ankylosing Spondylitis.
Complications
When Ankylosing Spondylitis is severe, new bone forms a part of the body’s attempt to heal. This new bone makes a bridge for the gap between the vertebrae and eventually fuses sections of the vertebrae. After that the parts of your spine become stiff and inflexible. This Fusion can also make your rib cage stiffen, restricting your lung capacity and function.
Other complications might include
Eye inflammation (uveitis): One of the most common complications of Ankylosing Spondylitis, eye inflammation can cause rapid-onset eye pain, sensitivity to light and blurred vision. If you develop these symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately.
Compression fractures: Some of the people’s bones thin during the early stages of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Vertebral fractures can put pressure on and possibly injure the spinal cord and the nerves that are pass through the spine.
Heart problems: Ankylosing Spondylitis can cause problems with your aorta, the largest artery in your body. The inflamed aorta can enlarge to the point that it distorts the shape of the aortic valve in the heart, which impairs its function.
Ankylosing Spondylitis Treatments: Some of the people take medication, but staying active is one of the main factors to managing it.
Exercise: The less you sit or lie down, the better you will feel. Exercise and physical therapy help you stand straighter and keeps your spine limber. Staying active may even end your pain without medication.
Physical therapy: Always try to sit in the correct posture, learn how to stretch tight muscles and keep your spine stable, and use correct techniques that can lower your pain. You can do physical exercise at home, but most people benefit more from working with a professional physical therapist.
Spondylolisthesis
Spondylolisthesis is a spinal problem that causes lower back pain. It happens when one of your vertebrae, the bones of your spine, slips out of place onto the vertebra below it. Most often, nonsurgical treatment can relieve your symptoms. However, if you have severe pain of spondylolisthesis, surgery is successful in most cases. Proper physical exercise techniques can also help you to reduce this pain.
Symptoms of spondylolisthesis
The symptoms of Spondylolisthesis are of different types. Most people with mild cases may not have any symptoms. But, those with severe cases may be unable to perform daily activities. Some of the common symptoms are:
- Persistent lower back pain
- Stiffness in your back and legs
- Lower back tenderness
- Thigh pain
- Tight hamstring and buttock muscles
Causes of Spondylolisthesis
Causes of Spondylolisthesis are different and based on age, heredity, and lifestyle. People of all ages are susceptible if the condition runs in the family. Sports may also cause your strain to overstretch and put stress on your lower back. The following sports are mainly the causes of this condition:
- Playing Football
- Gymnastics
- Track and Field
- Weightlifting
Spondylolysis occurs when there is a fracture in a vertebra, but it has not yet fallen onto a lower bone in your spine.
Physical examination is the first step in diagnosing this condition. In Spondylolisthesis, you may have difficulty raising your leg straight outward during simple exercises. X-rays of your lower spine are the way for determining whether a vertebra is out of place. Your doctor may also look for any possible bone fractures on the X-ray images.
Treatment
Treatment of spondylolisthesis depends on the severity of your pain and vertebra slippage. Nonsurgical treatments can help to reduce pain and encourage the bone to go back into place. It is important to avoid contact sports during the healing process.
Common nonsurgical treatment methods include:
- Wearing a back brace
- Doing physical therapy exercises
- Taking prescription anti-inflammatory medicine to reduce pain
- Using epidural steroid injections
Physiotherapists from First Response Healthcare recommend trying nonsurgical treatments first. But adults suffering from severe cases of Spondylolisthesis may need to have a surgery called a Spinal Fusion.
Surgical correction of the misplaced vertebra is required when the bone has slipped so far down that your spine does not respond to nonsurgical therapies. But surgery is required if the bones of your spine are pressing on your nerves.
At that time, the doctor worked to stabilize your spine by using a bone graft and metal rods. They may insert an internal brace to support the vertebra while it heals.
When the spinal fusion is complete, it will take four to eight months for the bones fully fuse together. The success rate of the surgery is relatively high.
These conditions are treated differently to non-specific back pain.
But, rarely, back pain can be a sign of a serious problem such as:
- A broken bone in the spine
- An infection of the spine bladder, or kidney may also lead to back pain
- Cauda Equina Syndrome (extreme pressure and swelling of the nerves at the end of the spinal cord.)
- Types of cancer, such as multiple myeloma (bone marrow cancer)