5 Common Reasons For Back Pain And Why We Shouldn’t Ignore It

Diagnosing Your Pain: What Counts As Back Pain?

People think of back pain as a specific area from the shoulders down to the base of your torso. But when you ask anatomy experts where back muscles start and begin, they actually span from the top of your buttocks to the back of your shoulders and neck.

Our backs act as a great foundation for our upper body and even host some nerves that provide sensation and allow movement from the thigh to the foot. The lower back provides crucial functions such as movement, support, and protection. It also ensures that our upper body weight is balanced when we sit upright, supporting it when we stand, walk, and run.

There are different ways you can experience pain. The most common classifications include:

1. Axial Pain – Axial pain is a sharp pain that comes and goes. An example of which is muscle strain. This kind of pain can be soothed through massage and regular physical therapy.
2. Referred Pain – This type of pain doesn’t really have a specific spot. Sufferers of referred pain may feel a dull ache around their back that has no one location. It spans across the shoulders down to the lower back, and can be very disturbing as it increases in intensity from time to time.
3. Radicular Pain – Sciatica is another way to call radicular pain. It’s often characterised as a searing pain that involves the nerves. Numbness may follow. This is typically caused by injuries, inflammation, and compression. They are common among people who suffer from conditions such as spondylolisthesis and spinal stenosis.

Not all pain has to be chronic or injury-related in nature to warrant medical attention. For cases of persistent back pain, you may qualify for a spinal diagnosis which will help you understand what is causing your pain.

Muscle Strain: Repeatedly lifting heavy objects or doing awkward movements can stress out your back muscles. When you put your back under such conditions, it’s likely for you to “pull a muscle”, which is often a short-term but very painful experience.

Osteoporosis: For people of old age, osteoporosis is one of the common causes of back pain. It happens when the bones become brittle, making them susceptible to injuries and stress.

Spinal Defects: Irregular curves in the spine can lead to back pain when left untreated. This often requires surgical intervention to correct the posture. Failure to correct spinal conditions may worsen over time and affect the lungs and the heart.