Mai
4 min readAug 7, 2023

low back pain

Low back pain can result from various wounds, conditions or sicknesses — most frequently, a physical issue to muscles or ligaments toward the back.pain can go from gentle to extreme. At times, pain can make it troublesome or difficult to walk, rest, work or do regular exercises.

For the most part, lower back pain gets better with rest,medications as NSAIDs or pain killers and physical therapy. Some conditions need surgical repair.

Common Back Pain Causes:

Back discomfort can manifest in a variety of ways, it could appear.

Inflammatory Disorders:

In contrast to mechanical back pain, inflammatory back pain typically lasts a long time and affects the axial spine and sacroiliac joints. Although you might also suffer pain near your buttocks that shifts from one side to the other, the pain you would experience from inflammation is typically restricted to the lumbar spine.

Muscle strain or harm:

A muscular strain or minor damage is what causes mechanical back discomfort. A muscle strain may feel like a dull ache or a sharp pain that worsens with activity.

Kidney stones:

Referred pain is a term used to describe back discomfort that comes from another area of the body. Pain from kidney stones usually feels like a severe discomfort under your ribs, in your side, or in your lower back.

Neuropathic Pain:

Another type of back pain is neuropathic back pain, which can be brought on by spinal injuries, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, or other issues that affect the spinal nerves. Shooting or radiating pain are frequent descriptions of nerve discomfort. Sciatica is the term used to describe leg discomfort that runs down your leg from your back.

Obesity:

Your back and pelvis are put under additional strain if you are overweight or obese. We are aware that losing weight might be challenging, yet doing so could ease your uncomfortable symptoms.

A bad posture:

slouching places additional pressure on your spine, increasing your risk of back pain. Those in desk jobs should place your head and neck in line with your torso when sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor (or on a footrest); avoid sitting with your ankles crossed or cross-legged; To avoid craning your neck up or down to see your monitor, brace your back with a towel rolled in the small of your lower back and stare straight ahead.

Pregnancy:

Yet another typical source of back pain? making a second human inside of you. While pregnant hormones are relaxing your pelvic joints and ligaments, pregnancy also causes necessary weight gain, which can put tension on your back. If you’re expecting and experiencing back pain, sleep on your left side, wear supportive shoes, and try to maintain good posture,Sleep on your side, do low-impact activities, place hot and cold packs on sore spots, and take extra care while lifting heavy objects. All could aid in easing your back ache.

Low Back Pain Diagnosis:

1.Physical Examination

Your current health status and medical history are reviewed before the physical examination begins. Your physician will inquire about:

when the ache started

what actions worsen or improve it

what measures have you taken to treat your low back pain?

Your range of motion will then be evaluated by the doctor. Your ability to bend forward, to the side, and when standing straight are all used to gauge your range of spinal motion. Leg length, posture, and asymmetry are all observed. A methodical examination of the spine might identify sensitive spots, bone displacement that may have occurred, and spasms in the muscles.

2.Neurologic Examination:

The neurologic evaluation looks for symptoms of nerve involvement such as weakness, lack of reflexes, tingling, burning, pain, and reduced function.

In some circumstances, electrodiagnostic tests like nerve conduction velocity (NCV) or electromyography (EMG) are carried out to confirm a diagnosis or pinpoint the location of a nerve injury.

3.Imaging Studies

.Spine X-ray:images of bones.

.MRI: images of spinal tissues such as the spinal cord and intervertebral discs.

.CT scan:to make 3D pictures of bones and delicate tissues.

.Electromyography (EMG):to test nerves and muscles and check for neuropathy (nerve harm), which can cause numbness in your legs.

Most kinds of lower back pain are frequently referred to physical therapy. physical therapy for low back pain incorporates exercises that reinforce the lower back muscles and condition the spinal tissues and joints.

The short-and long term goals of physical therapy include:

1.dercease pain

2.improve function of back

3.strength muscle to prevent recurrence of back problems

Two types of physiotherapy are used by physical therapist :

1.active physical therapy:exercises to stretch and strength back

2.passive physical therapy:ultrasound,heat therapy,ice therpay,TENS.

To prevent back pain and work on everyday exercises

1. keep healthy weight

2.Avoid conveying too-weighty loads and curve with your knees when you lift weighty things

3.Eat a supplement rich with calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus to construct healthy bones

4.Exercise to keep back muscles strength

5.Sleep on your side, or utilize a strong pad under your mid-region or knees in the event that you rest on your stomach or back

6.Wear suitable footwear that upholds ideal posture