Lower back pain has many different causes. Most commonly, it is caused by an injury or some form of medical condition. Back pain is so common that at least two out of three people will deal with it at some point in their life. Chronic conditions like herniated discs and degenerative disc disease are just as common as muscle strain. The cause of your back pain influences just how intense the pain is. Something temporary, like muscle spasms, can be just as painful as a disc condition. When dealing with low back pain, there are two types: acute and chronic.

Acute Back Pain

Acute low back pain is the term given when you have suffered an injury that is causing the pain. It will heal over time and is not the result of something more serious. Acute pain can vary in length and intensity but eventually goes away. In some cases, it can be permanent without treatment. With any back pain, it is important to seek medical attention right away so that a doctor can determine the severity of the injury and make sure that there are no serious issues.

Chronic Back Pain

Chronic lower back pain is the type of pain that persists. If you have suffered from pain continuously or had recurring flare ups for more than three months, you have chronic pain. Chronic low back pain can be difficult to associate with a cause without comprehensive testing. After you have seen a doctor and had your condition diagnosed, you can then learn about the various ways that can be used to alleviate your back pain.

Muscle Strain

Damage to the ligaments or muscles in the back are the most common causes of acute pain in the lower back. Muscle strains and lumbar sprains are more serious that people think, especially since the lower back is responsible for bearing most of your weight. Muscle strains are damage that occurs to the muscle fibers through over stretching or tearing. Lumbar sprains occur when the ligaments that connect your spinal sections are over stretched or torn. Both injuries are treated the same.

A short period of rest for a maximum of two days is often recommended. During this time, pain medications and hot or cold compresses should be used to reduce lower back pain. If pain persists longer than two weeks, you will need to do back exercises to help strengthen the weakened muscles.

Conditions

If you suffer from chronic low back pain, there is usually a condition that is responsible. You may also experience pain in your legs and tingling or numbness. While there are many different conditions, there are some that are more common than others and are often related to age. This means that while some conditions do not apply to certain age groups or are universal, there are others that will appear more commonly in people at a certain age.

Under 60 Years Old

Lumbar disc herniation can cause low back pain and leg pain. In some cases, numbness also occurs. Pain and numbness travels from the lower spine down the buttocks and to the feet. It will often become more pronounced if you have been on your feet or sitting still for long periods. This is because you are in one position and then you stand up, which adds pressure.

Degenerative disc disorder causes you to experience pain when you sit or move a certain way. The discs in the spin are causing pressure. This pressure in turn causes pinched nerves. The combination of pinched nerves and pressure leads to lower back pain and numbness.

Isthmic Spondylolisthesis causes low back pain while standing and/or walking. It occurs when a vertebra in the lumbar area slips forward and puts stress on the disc under it. Leg pain can also be experienced.

Over 60 Years Old

Facet joint osteoarthritis is a degenerative form of arthritis. It occurs when the cartilage between the facet joints in the back break down. The low back pain you experience is worse in the morning and evening times. Stiffness can also occur and lead to reduced movement.

Another cause of lower back pain in seniors is lumbar spinal stenosis. Pain occurs in the legs when you walk or stand up. The pain is a result of pressure on the nerves where they exit the spine. Standing or walking increases the pressure on these nerves.

Treatment

There are many treatments for low back pain. After seeking a diagnosis from your doctor, you can discuss your options completely. Treatment options will depend on your diagnosis, but are available in several choices:

• Physical therapy

• Medications

• Home Treatment

• Surgery

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be an effective treatment for lower back pain. A special therapist guides you through specific exercises that target your back problem and help strengthen the muscles in your back. In some cases, part of physical therapy will include chiropractic or decompression treatments.

Medications

The medications that are used for treating low back pain will be either over the counter or prescription, and sometimes a combination of the two is recommended. Depending on your condition and the severity of your pain, pain relievers can be acetaminophen or narcotic prescriptions. There are also creams and topical ointments that contain pain relievers.

Home Treatments

Home treatments can be particularly beneficial for acute lower back pain. It can help alleviate the pain while your injured back heals. This type of treatment includes hot and/or cold compresses and gentle massage. It is important to limit your bed rest to the first two days after the injury to avoid muscle weakness as a result of not using your back muscles.

Surgery

Surgical treatments are generally reserved for severe conditions that cause an extreme constant lower back pain. There are quite a few procedures that can be done. You can have bulging discs set back into position or removed. You can have pieces of vertebrae removed to reduce pressure. Your doctor will determine which surgical procedure you will need.

Back pain is something that affects millions of people on a daily basis.  Back injuries can sometimes be very debilitating, especially if it is difficult to find a position that is comfortable to be in.  People who work in physically demanding jobs often complain that their lower back is the first thing that goes.  Constant use of the back can often lead to bad back problems.  Finding a good lower back pain treatment program is important to help you alleviate some of your pain.

Lower back pain treatments are very important to be able to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  It is quite common for people who experience pain in their back to want to just lie in bed all day.  This is because lying down is often a neutral position where no pain is felt.  Most severe lower back pain is a common ailment among adults and is usually caused by overuse of your muscles.  This will often lead to strain or injury in your back area.  It is important to know that continued or repeated back pain is not something that is very serious or dangerous.

Finding the right treatment program for your back can help you stay as active and healthy as possible.  The majority of back pain problems can often be resolved if you are staying active, avoiding positions that hurt your back, ice the area, and take non prescriptive relievers when the pain gets very bad.

Once your acute pain is gone, you can focus on doing exercises that will help strengthen your stomach, back, and legs, which will all work to tighten up your lower back.  Doing exercises will not necessarily reduce the pain that you feel in your back, but it might help the recovery of your back.  There are a variety of exercises that you can do to help strengthen your lower back that you can do from home without any special equipment or machines.

If you are suffering from bad back problems then you should also work to strengthen your core muscles.  Your core muscles help give you good posture and strengthen the area that surrounds your lower back.  Often people have bad lower backs as the result of gaining weight which puts more pressure on the lower back area.  Be sure to try and exercise to get in good shape, which will often help you reduce some of the back pain that your experience.

People who suffer from back pain that is caused by underlying conditions should consult doctor for help.  A particular symptom that you should watch for is a shooting pain up your leg.  This normally means that you may have a pinched nerve or something else that is causing your back pain.

No matter how bad your pain, you can always find a good lower back pain treatment program that will help alleviate some of your pain.  By following a routine you can work to increase the strength of your back area which will work to prevent future injuries.

Low Back Pain Exercises:

Millions of people are affected every day from a back pain.  Most people suffering from pain in their back often try and treat the pain with a painkiller.  A bad back can have pain that is mild all the way to severely excruciating.  No matter how bad how pain is, you should ensure that you find the right treatment for lower back pain.  Having a bad back is something that you should never have to live with.  By taking certain steps, you can help reduce the outbreaks of bad back pain that you experience.

Some of the best ways to help reduce lower back pain is to strengthen your core muscles.  By strengthening your core area, you can ensure that your lower back gets the support it needs to be stronger.  One thing that you should realize about bad backs is that most pains are caused from bad posture and repetitive use of the back muscles.  People who suffer from lower back pain can usually wait between 4-6 weeks for their muscles to heal and the pain to go away.

The most common type of back problems that people experience is simple back pain.  Nearly 19 in 20 cases of bad backs are due to simple pain.  Don’t be confused be the word simple.  Simple does not mean that you don’t feel any pain in your lower back; it simple means that the problem is mechanical.  This means that your pain is caused from certain movements or positions that you are in.  The rest of people who suffer from back pain have a more serious condition.  If your back pain is not caused by mechanical movements then you probably have an underlying issue that is causing your back to hurt.  This could be anything from a bulged disc to a pinched nerve.

People who suffer from pain that is caused from an underlying problem should consult a doctor to look at the different treatment options that are available.  Even exercise won’t cure you pain if the route of the problem is the structure of your actual back.  It is quite common for some doctors to recommend surgery for certain underlying issues that are affecting serious injuries.

If you are unsure of what kind of things you can do that will help out your back, you should see a physiotherapist.  Physiotherapist are great because they can teach you different exercises that will help you build up the muscles that are surrounding your lower back area.  Focus on strengthening the muscles around your back; this will give support to your spine, which will help reduce some of the pain.  Finding the right treatment for lower back pain is very important if you are looking to cure your back problem.