The Back - Chronic Lower Pain


by Antoinette Boulay - Date: 2007-04-17 - Word Count: 376 Share This!

The lower back, known also as the Lumbar region, consists of 5 vertebrae, the sacrum and the coccyx, and is located in the lower third of the spinal cord.

Dense rings of cortical bone, vertebrae have a body shaped like an hourglass; they protect the spinal cord. The lumbar vertebrae supports all weight in the upper body, and therefore feels the highest amount of stress of all the vertebrae in the spine.

The sacrum and coccyx are found at the spine's base; they're a group of bones fused together. They are theorized to be bones which once formed a tail in the early evolution of humans.

Causes of Back Lower Pain

Since the lower back carries so much weight and bears so much load, this is the area of the back in which most back pain occurs.

Numerous different reasons, some beyond our hegemony, and some which we can control ourselves, may bring about back pain. Major causes are accidents which put an extensive amount of pressure on our spine, bad posture, obesity, sports injuries, and infection.

As people age, bones begin to lose strength, and muscles start to lose elasticity; so older people are more likely to be affected by back problems. Such problems are caused mainly by lifting heavy objects, over-stretching, or incorrect lifting movements.

Conditions associated with back chronic pain

Spinal Degeneration

Wear and tear on the spinal discs are able, over time, to cause narrowing of the spinal cord, a degeneration that can make a sufferer feel stiff in the morning and have pain following long amounts of time on their feet.

Sciatica

Brought about by a ruptured or herniated disc pushing on the sciatic nerve, when sciatica happens it can cause shooting pains down one or both legs from the lower back.

Spinal Arthritis

Typically found in the older members of society, spinal arthritis causes intermittent pain in the lower back. Arthritis in the lower back may also produce difficulty walking or bending and weakness or numbness in the legs.

Those who have suffered with back lower pain for more than one month are diagnosed as having chronic back pain. These people have to see a medical consultant to determine the precise cause of their back pain. Once the cause is found, the correct treatment can be undertaken so the back pain can be eased.


Related Tags: back pain, pain relief, sciatica, chronic pain, backpain, pain remedy

Read more about back pain medication and acupuncture for back pain by visiting http://www.medopedia.com

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