Main Causes of Low Back Pain

Many of us will experience low back pain at some point in our lives. Our mobility is dependent on a healthy spine. Understand the causes of low back pain so you can prevent the most common problems.
One of this country's leading medical problems is back pain. It is cited as one of the five most common injuries occurring in the workplace. Some of these, of course come from accidents. However, many are simply preventable. In fact, the vast majority tend to come from stress and strain on your back. It only takes a second to lift something that pulls a muscle in your back. We take a look at some of the more common causes of low back pain.

The lower back is often referred to as the lumbar. The lumbar consist of five cervical discs. This part of the back tends to take the stress and strain that is put on the body by the forces of gravity. These five discs are connected with soft tissues consisting of tendons, ligaments and muscles.

Of course, as we get older injuries become more likely to are lower back. Maintaining the flexibility of the soft tissue areas is vital to your longevity and mobility. Many of us have experienced having back pain after an injury. However, many people experience back pain because of long hours of sitting.

Flexibility is your lower back is its most important asset. Especially, maintaining the flexibility of the soft tissues between the cervical disc bones. These areas must maintain the ability to transmit weight between the upper and lower body. This requires strength and flexibility.

Some of the more common causes of lower back pain are muscle strain, injury and overuse. Lower back pain is interesting because small strain causes the other muscles and disc to take up the slack. If something is injured, the other areas of the body must make up for this reduced capability.

One of the challenges of the lower back is that injuries become key let us. If one area of the lower back cannot pull its weight, then the other parts must pull for it. This leads to an imbalance in the spinal structure. This can cause tension and fatigue to the other areas pulling more than their fair share of weight.

Our lower backs are quite an amazing engineering marvel. In this tiny compact structure it must transmit your body weight and act as a shock absorber. We definitely take for granted our mobility. Without our lower backs, we would not be able to stand upright. When we use our backs improperly, it can cause it to be out of balance.

There is a cumulative affect with injuries to the lower back. When one injury occurs it can cause the spine to become out of balance. Many times we don't notice that we are changing our posture in sitting position because of these types of injuries. These must be corrected to restore proper balance in the spine.

Two forms of back pain are acute and chronic. Acute is less severe and for shorter durations of time. Chronic can be very painful and last the rest of someone's life. Many types of diseases or disorders result in chronic back pain.

The vast majority of low back problems are acute back pain. This comes from injury to the soft tissues. These can happen suddenly or they may happen slowly over time. If you list too much weight, this would be a sudden case. Improper posture can lead to one that occurs slowly and time.

There are also certain conditions which can also lead to low back pain. These can range from osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis or a herniated disc can also cause low back pain. It is always important to check with your physician to obtain an accurate diagnosis. They can help advise on to the nature of your situation. They may also recommend natural treatments such as chiropractic manipulation, stretching and massage chair therapy.

Make sure you take care of your lower back. The keys to your mobility are its strength and flexibility. Making sure that you adequately stretch and strengthen the lower back will help you maintain your mobility much longer. As always, diet, exercise and massage provide for a proper balance to maintain the vitality of your lower back.
Understand the Causes of Low Back Pain
Back Pain

By James Knolan
Published: 7/1/2009
 
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Your Comments:
Your Name:
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
Recipient Email Address:
 Separate multiple email addresses by ;
Your Name:
Your Email Address: