The 3 Major Causes of Lower Back Pain

May 5, 2017 - Muscle Pain - 0 Comments

At any one time, there are over 100 million people that suffer from back pain. The typical treatment is pain medication and muscle relaxers and or physical therapy. Know what is causing the pain and why it is a problem will lead you to a solution. Besides a trauma such as slipping on ice or falling off a ladder, most lower back injuries are repetitive injuries that happen over time. The reason for this is that repetitive stress on the structures of the lower back produce “wear and tear”. This can come in three ways:

Degeneration which is the process in which the structure (bone) is altered. The bone increases in size which can impede on structures such as nerves causing pain either on one side or in some cases both sides. Also, the bones may touch each other which would produce pain through rubbing and inflammation.

Disc degeneration or herniation: In disc degeneration, the cushion of the spine loses its “spring” to absorb force and can lead to either a disc herniation that can press on a nerve causing pain. The disc can have a tear in it that produces pain itself.

Muscles strains: One of the most common forms of pain in the lower back. The muscles are the shock absorbers of the lower back. If the muscles are weak, they cannot handle the forces that are placed upon them and small micro tears can occur or in move sever causes a major tear.

In all 3 cases, the number one defense against either having these problems or progression is to have a strong core to withstand the forces of daily life.