There is an 80% chance that you suffer from low back pain but… what is it? How is it treated?
From Viviane Cordeiro in Kidlington Oxfordshire, we want you to clear your doubts.
It is likely that at some point in our lives we will all have very severe pain in the lower back area. In fact, the probability is 80%.
A paralyzing pain that when it arises, you immediately look for something to lean on. The first thing that crosses your mind is low back pain. But what does it really mean? Is it a valid diagnosis for your condition?
What is low back pain?
Technically, low back pain is pain in the lower back. It is a short answer for a pathology that constantly appears in society and in productive age. The truth is that it is a term used to define any non-specific pain in this area. The real challenge is to discover what the original cause of the problem is.
What types of low back pain exist?
The pain that occurs in the lower back can be caused by many reasons such as impingement of the intervertebral discs, a herniated disc, biomechanical problems or osteoarthritis. Let’s see how they are divided according to their condition.
Lumbago Mechanical
Mechanical low back pain is characterized by muscle spasms in the lower back caused by overuse or injury. It can be caused by activities such as lifting heavy loads or a sedentary lifestyle. You can treat mechanical low back pain with physiotherapy and painkillers.
Inflammatory low back pain
Its cause is more specific. It can be a symptom of an infection or different types of systemic diseases such as inflammatory spondyloarthropathies.
Radicular low back pain
It is a type of low back pain that occurs in the spinal cord and is prolonged by the different nerves that reach the muscles. The pain is caused by irritation of the nerve roots, by pressure on them, generally from the facet joints.
The most common symptoms are numbness and tingling in the legs and feet. Other symptoms may include shooting pains, weakness, muscle spasms, and bowel or bladder problems.
Referred low back pain
It is pain that does not originate in the lower back, but is caused by other ailments such as hip or visceral problems.
How is lower back pain solved?
The use of anti-inflammatories and analgesics controls the pain, but does not make it disappear in cases of chronic low back pain. An extensive examination will allow us to obtain the correct diagnosis.
We always recommend our patients treat low back pain with conservative techniques. It is important to achieve improvement through posture correction or strengthening of the muscles surrounding the lower back. That is why physical therapy is the first line of treatment.