Back pain is a common complaint. Medical researchers maintain that roughly 80 percent of the United States population will experience some form of such discomfort during their lifetime. Fortunately, a discernible percentage of stricken subjects may find relief ingesting various medications or receiving other therapeutic protocols.
Back Pain Causes
This condition could be precipitated by numerous root causes. Certain underlying issues can be relatively simple to remediate. Others might be more serious and require more aggressive intervention. That said, healthcare providers suggest that the most common causes include:
Disc Damage
The back and spinal regions are comprised of components called discs. These features provide cushioning for the spine’s vertebrae. Countless events could result in said components becoming irritated, bulging to several times larger than their typical size, or possibly even rupturing.
When any of the preceding occurrences takes place, enlarged discs or fractured pieces of said objects place pressure on surrounding nerves, muscles, bones, and other pertinent structures.
Muscle Or Soft Tissues Injuries
The back contains an appreciable number of muscles and soft tissues like ligaments and tendons. Soft tissues are also often named connective tissues because said features join important larger components such as muscles and bones. Damage or deterioration to these structures often results from:
- Age-related decline
- Various systemic illnesses
- Chronic, forceful, repetitive movements
- Acute injuries brought forth by events like car accidents and precipitous falls
Such maladies might also result from structural malformations of surrounding back components.
Illnesses
Occasionally, back pain results from some type of underlying illness. The most common is arthritis, which occurs when connective structures like joints grow inflamed or injured. Osteoporosis is another malady known to produce back discomfort. This condition occurs when the body either makes too little bone or loses excessive concentrations of bone mass.
Symptoms
Obviously, the most noticeable physical manifestation accompanying any type of back-related malady is pain. The presentation and intensity of said discomfort will depend upon several factors, such as the location of the injury or problem, the specific underlying condition, said ailment’s severity, the patient’s age, and their overall physical and biological health.
Moreover, afflicted individuals often disclose that back pain can vary in the manner in which it presents. For example, sufferers maintain experiencing sensations like:
- Stabbing
- Shooting
- Burning
- Generalized aching
Additionally, such unpleasant feelings could travel across the back and to other reaches, including the neck, hips, thighs, and legs. Furthermore, motion and activities, such as bending, twisting, lifting, or any discernible exercise could exacerbate the problem.
Moderate to severe presentations of certain back pain-inducing conditions might precipitate other more serious physical manifestations, including weakness, leg numbness, and mobility concerns.
Less commonly, back pain is a sign of a major systemic disease like an infection or malignancy. However, in a solid percentage of cases, said maladies are accompanied by other alarming symptoms, like an elevated body temperature, bowel or bladder issues, dizziness, or severe pain or numbness radiating to other bodily regions.
Potential Treatment Options
The specific back pain treatment chosen by an examining medical professional will depend on the exact cause and its severity.
Fortunately, a decent percentage of back pain incidents can be attributed to relatively minor muscle or soft tissue problems. In such instances, associated discomfort might be alleviated through the administration of:
Over-The-Counter Preparations
Medications readily available for purchase at supermarket or pharmacy chains like non-steroidal, anti-inflammation drugs, sometimes abbreviated as NSAIDs may provide needed relief.
Topical Pain Relieving Agents
Certain muscle or soft tissue aches may be alleviated through the application of topical creams, gels, ointments, or patches.
Prescription Medications
For more significant pain, physicians might prescribe drugs such as muscle relaxers and narcotic pain killers, which contain opiates and must be used with extreme caution.
Physical Therapy
Some underlying back pain-precipitating ailments might necessitate a course of physical therapy. PT, as the treatment is sometimes affectionately known, is an individualized course of exercises geared towards helping the patient’s injured or ailing back regain its strength and lost motion ranges.
Surgical Intervention
Serious back pain, discomfort precipitated by serious injuries or conditions, or those producing additional debilitating symptoms might require surgery to alleviate pressure or remove diseased tissues.
Reaching Out To Us
The residents of Hoover and neighboring Alabama regions stricken with back pain are urged to contact us. The team of experienced professionals employed at Integrative Chiropractic possesses a dearth of experience diagnosing said concern’s specific underlying causes and identifying individualized treatment programs.
We are proud to claim that we have successfully treated numerous patients and helped them return to pain free lives and the activities they enjoy. We look forward to producing similar results for others. Call us at 205-637-1363.
