Our ability to avoid low back pain can be compared to our ability to avoid red stop lights on our way to work. No matter how hard we try, or how much faith we may have, the restriction brought about by red lights during our morning commute is practically inevitable.  With lower back pain being the second-most common reason for people visiting the doctor these days (flus and colds being first), it is statistically safe to say that almost all of us will experience it’s iron grip someday soon, and no doubt, a better understanding of the nature of this beast could be very helpful in the future.

Causes

With low back pain being so common in our lives today, its causes can stem from a variety of different reasons. The following is a list of possible causes associated with back pain:

• Age. As we get older, often the flexability and elasticity in the muscles surrounding the spine tends to decrease, bone density decreases, and the discs in the back can lose fluid resulting in decreased cushioning between the vertebrae.
• Pain is often a result of a  sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back due to heavy lifting or over-stretching. If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture and put pressure on one of the many nerves in the spinal cord. When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, back pain results.
• Most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back (injury received from a car accident being just one example), but pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis, tendinitis, disc disease, osteoporosis, or other bone diseases.
• Other factors that can be associated with back pain may include obesity, smoking, weight gain during pregnancy, stress, poor physical condition, poor posture, and poor sleeping position.

Signs and Symptoms

• Pain in the low back (sharp or dull ache)
• Pain increases with excessive sitting and/or standing
• Muscle spasms and tightness
• Increase in pain with certain movements (bending forward, twisting, etc.)
• Usually associated with a loss of strength and function in the lower back and trunk secondary to pain

Treatment Possibilities

Conservative Treatment

• Rest. While resting is important, studies have shown that it is even more important to resume modified activity as soon as possible, keeping the flexibly in the back from decreasing.
• Ice. Applying ice to the back at least twice a day for first 2-3 days post-injury will help decrease the inflammation and pain associated with activity.
• Heat. After the initial inflammation caused from the injury has ceased, warm baths and heat packs will increase blood flow and promote more mobility to the muscles in the lower back
• Anti-inflammatory medication. Doing all you can to reduce the inflammation to the muscles surrounding the low back will not only decrease the pain, but it will help prevent further damage to the area and promote faster recovery.
• If pain after conservative treatment persists, often more rigorous treatment is necessary.

Therapeutic Treatment

• Physical Therapy.
  • Studies have shown that exercise is key to low back pain recovery. Physical therapists can help to provide a series of modified stretches and exercises that will  help strengthen, but be careful to not re-injure the surrounding area.
  • Along with modified stretches and exercises to promote healing and strength, physical therapists can instruct the individual in correct technique and provide for a quicker and more effective recovery rate.
  • Deep ultrasound to the affected area can increase blood flow, break up surrounding scar tissue, and aide in faster recovery
  • Massage

Surgery

• In the most serious cases, when the condition does not respond to other therapies, surgery may relieve pain caused by back problems or serious musculoskeletal injuries.
• For additional information regarding the types of surgeries available out there, feel free to refer to http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm to learn more.

Contact Us!

If you are suffering from any of the following signs or symptoms associated with low back pain, and feel like physcial therapy could aide in your recovery, feel free to contact us via email, or call us at any one of our three locations to receive a FREE consultation from one of our licensed physical therapists!