Suffering from Back Pain? Reasons for Pain & Remedies

We all experience pain at at least one point in our entire life though I’d guess we suffer more than we want to because life can really suck most of the time. The truth bomb is that all of us are bound to feel and experience pain and it’s something inevitable. 

Physical pain is anything that we feel physically from certain body parts. This includes back pain, headache, toothache, and a lot more.

One of the most common physical pains that we feel is back pain. This is a kind of pain that we may feel either on our upper back, lower back, or worse, both.

In the situation today with work from home setups and online school, more individuals are reporting to experience this kind of pain and surprisingly, younger individuals are also suffering from this. These can go from tolerable levels of pain to a pain level that requires full body rest and medication. Worse, back pains can cause some to undergo certain procedures and physical therapy. 

There are two kinds of physical back pain that you must surely know about.

1. Chronic Pain: This kind of pain develops over a long period of time that may be undetected during the first phase or may just be classified as normal lingering pain. It can last for more than 3 months and may develop to a serious condition and cause severe effects to the body if not treated immediately.

1. Acute Pain: Acute Pains are those kinds of pain that you will suddenly feel out of the blue and it may last up to 6 weeks maximum but are very tolerable though uncomfortable. 

POSSIBLE CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

There are a lot of things that can easily cause back pain. Especially if your job requires you to carry and lift a lot of heavy things or requires you to sit down for most of the time which is very common in office work. Here are the most common reasons why a person experiences back pain.

1. Strain

Back pains usually originate from a strain, injury or tension that builds up overtime. The most common back pains are caused by the following:

• muscle tension
• strained muscles
• damaged disks
• strained ligaments
• injuries and fractures
• muscle spasm

2. Movements or Posture
   

• over- stretching
• standing for a long period of time
• too much twisting of the body
• straining forward of the neck
• awkwardly bending for a long period of time
• sitting for a long period of time
• coughing
• sleeping uncomfortably on a mattress
• strenuous carrying of something
• long driving session without a single break
• sneezing

3. Structural Problems

• Arthritis

Arthritis is the swelling of one of the joints in your body. These are quite common in old people but younger individuals can also be subjected to this. Arthritis can cause major pain and inconvenience especially in the hip and lower back areas. In the worst case scenario, it may develop to a new illness called spinal stenosis.

• Ruptured disks

It is known that every vertebra in our spine is cushioned by what you call disks. If in any case, the disks become ruptured, a lot of pressure will be pushed to your nerves. This is what causes bad back pains.

• Abnormal curve of the spine

Back pains can also be caused by abnormal curves of the spine. Some of it can be acquired since birth while others can be acquired as you grow older. One example of an abnormal curve of the spine is Scoliosis.

• Bulging disks

Bulging disks, just like ruptured disks, put a lot of pressure to the nerves on your spine. If you have this, it will instantly cause back pain.

• Kidney Problems

Having infections on your kidney or kidney stones can also cause back pain. Make sure to avoid those salty foods that can cause kidney problems. Once you have kidney problems, you are highly likely to experience related issues. 

• Sciatica

If you have bulging or herniated disks, chances are you’ll also experience Sciatica. This is the striking pain that you will feel from your buttocks to the back of your legs. It is caused by the intense pressure that is placed on the nerves on your spine. This will definitely result in a lot of back pains.

• Osteoporosis

When our bones become brittle, osteoporosis takes place. Having this can lead to a lot of problems such as continuous back pain and increased risk of having compression fractures. Make sure to have yourself take a regular check up to make sure that you are free from these problems.

4. Other Causes

These causes are mainly uncategorized causes of the back pain that we usually feel. It’s possible that even though it has no direct relation with your back, these following causes can still bring a lot of pain for it.

• Sleep Disorders

It is said that people who have sleeping disorders such as insomnia tend to be more prone to back pains.

• Cauda Equina Syndrome

Cauda Equina Syndrome happens when a lot of spinal nerve roots emerge at the lower end of a person’s spinal column. It can cause extreme back pains so make sure to have yourself checked by a doctor once this problem arises. There are a lot of symptoms that you can watch out for with the common ones such as bladder dysfunctions, numbness of thighs, and bowel dysfunction.

• Shingles

Shingles is a type of viral infection that can cause a lot of problems for you such as blisters and painful rashes. It is possible that you can have back pains as a result but it depends on which nerves are affected by this infection. Make sure to have this treated immediately to prevent any further complications that may rise.

• Spine Cancer

Spine Cancer, just like other cancers on specific organs, starts with a tumor. This tumor will then press down on your spinal nerves which will cause severe back pains. Get yourself checked out for the possibility of having this when you experience a lot of pain in your back.

• Other Infections

A lot of different types of infections can actually cause you to experience back pain. Some of these infections are among the likes of bladder infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and kidney infections. Have yourself checked out regularly for the chances of having one of these infections.

• Spine Infections

If you have a fever and a warm sensation on your back, this may actually mean that you have a spine infection. Chances are you’ll feel a lot of pain on your lower back area and have a high temperature. If you have both of these symptoms, make sure to contact your doctor as soon as you can to be able to treat it immediately.

WHY YOU ARE AT RISK OF BACK PAIN

Sometimes, we don’t really check if we are more at risk to feel certain pains or to have certain illnesses. The thing is, it’s important to assess yourself every now and then. It will help you figure out if you are in need of a lifestyle change or a trip to the doctors. To assess yourself, here are some certain factors that may cause you to become more prone to back pains.

• Poor Physical Fitness
• Strenuous Work or Physical Activity
• Occupational Activities
• Old Age
• Genes or Family History
• Pregnancy
• Obesity or Overweight
• Medical Conditions
• Lifestyle
• Smoking

HOW CAN BACK PAIN BE DIAGNOSED

Sometimes, back pains can actually be associated with certain illnesses and conditions. This is the reason why you always need to have yourself checked for all possible illnesses that you may have. It will help you treat the illness immediately and recover as soon as you can. If you’re having a lot of concerns about your back pains, you can ask your doctor to do some of these procedures to check if you have any certain illness that can connect to the frequent back pain that you have been feeling.

• Bone Scans
• Chiropractor
• X- rays
• Osteopath
• Electromyography or EMG
• Visit your Physical Therapist
• MRI or CT Scan

POSSIBLE TREATMENTS AND REMEDIES FOR BACK PAIN

Whenever you feel so much pain from your back, remember that there are a lot of ways to treat it. These treatments and remedies vary from those that you can do while at the comfort of your own home to medical treatments. Make sure to check this out to understand the following solutions to back pain.

• Home Rest

• Massage Therapy Guns

Massage therapy guns can offer the benefits of massage without the hassle of going out and heading to visit a massage therapist. Seriously consider this one as a remedy to help you with your back pains. 

This definitely helps in facilitating muscle recovery and is designed to correct pains from poor postures and lifestyle. The M3 Ultimate Massage Gun by Legion Gears offers answers to your back pain. 

• Surgery

❖ Diskectomy

❖ Fusion

❖ Removal of a small part of the vertebra

❖ Artificial disk

❖ Injections of cells that help regenerate the spine discs

• Medical Treatment

❖ Medication

❖ Traction

❖ Cortisone Injections

❖ Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

❖ Physical Therapy

❖ Botox

• Complementary Therapies

❖ Yoga

❖ Osteopath

❖ Shiatsu

❖ Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

❖ Chiropractor

❖ Acupuncture

WHAT CAN HELP PREVENT BACK PAIN

You know what they say, “Prevention is better than cure.” It is truly better that you make certain precautions to lessen the chance of encountering back pains. Take note of these following ways that can help you prevent the occurrence of back pains.

• Exercise daily
• Wear comfortable shoes everyday
• Take precautions when lifting or doing something
• Avoid certain vices such as smoking and alcohol
• Take note of your posture at all times
• Have a healthy diet
• Take note of your body weight