Back Pain

80 percent of Americans experience one form of back pain or another during the course of their lives. More men over the age of 45 are disabled by back pain than any other condition. It is the third most common reason for surgeries. Because of this, people complaining of back pain cannot be easily diagnosed. This is because the spine is such an incredibly complex structure of bones, muscles, nerves, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Injury or disease affecting any one or more of these structures can often trigger an episode of pain. X-Rays and MRIs allow us to see the structures, but not how those structures are functioning.

Lower back pain is sometimes caused by a muscle strain. The erector spinae, or large paired muscles in the lower back that help maintain posture and provide movement can become inflamed and spasm. In more serious cases, the pain may be caused by a disc irritation, herniation or a bulge or facet (smaller paired joints) joints dysfunction.

A degenerative disc condition can sometimes cause a chain reaction of events in your spine. When a disc is irritated or is malformed from disease or some other condition, it can allow additional undue pressure on other healthy structures, such as neighboring discs, nerves, muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons, causing pain and disability.

Rest, ice, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine, such as Ibuprofen, are often the first course of treatment for mild lower back pain. Muscle damage usually starts to heal and feel better in just a few days.

Because the thoracic spine is the sturdiest part of the spine, it is less prone to injury. That said, upper back pain can be caused by poor posture, a repetitive stress issue.

However, rest for a sore back should be kept to no more than a few days. Otherwise, the muscles in the lower back begin to atrophy and can become significantly weaker leaving you open to further undue pain and injury.