Back pain or backache is defined as pain or discomfort felt in the upper, middle and lower back, arising from structures in the back like muscles, nerves, bones or ligament. Its often very difficult to know exactly what causes back pain. Whereas it is usually related to a strain in a muscle, tendon or ligament, or damage to one of the other structures in your back. This pain is also known as Mechanical pain. Type of Back Pain:- Acute back pain – lasting less than four weeks. Sub-acute back pain – lasting four to 12 weeks. Chronic back pain – lasting longer than 12 weeks. Some causes of Back Pain 1. Standing, sitting or bending down for long periods of time 2. Lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling loads that are too heavy, or going about these tasks in the wrong way 3. Poor posture 4. Being obese (having a BMI of over 30) 5. An accident or injury 6. Sometimes, damage to parts of your spine can be the cause of back pain. This includes: • a slipped (herniated) disc – when a disc bulges so that it puts pressure on your spinal nerves • a fracture – a crack or break in one of the bones in your back • osteoporosis – a condition where bones lose density causing them to become weak and compress • spinal stenosis – a condition in which the channels that house your spinal column or nerves in your spine narrow • spondylolisthesis – when one of your back bones slips forward and out of position • degenerative disc disease – when the discs in your spinal cord gradually become worn down • osteoarthritis – a wear-and-tear disease that can particularly affect the joints of your spine • rheumatoid arthritis – an inflammatory condition in which your immune system causes inflammation of the lining of your joints and surrounding structures Self treatment:- There are a number of things you can do to help relieve back pain. Stay active and continue your daily activities as normally as you can. Bed rest may actually make back pain worse, so try to limit the time you spend resting to a minimum. Apply heat to the affected area. This has been shown to give short-term relief in symptoms. You can buy specially designed heat packs from most chemist shops.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 09:08:14 +0000
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