|
| General Causes of Back Pain | Medical problems that can cause back pain comprise the following:
 Mechanical problems: A mechanical problem is a problem with the way your spine moves or the way you feel when you move your spine in certain ways. Maybe the most widespread mechanical cause of back pain is a condition called intervertebral disc degeneration, which simply means that the discs situated between the vertebrae of the spine are breaking down with age. As they weaken, they lose their cushioning ability. Consequently, his problem can lead to pain if the back is stressed. Supplementary mechanical causes of back pain take in spasms, muscle tension and ruptured discs, which are also called herniated discs.
Injuries: Spine injuries for example sprains and fractures can cause either short-term or chronic pain. Sprains are tears in the ligaments that support the spine and they can happen from twisting or lifting wrongly. Fractured vertebrae are often the result of osteoporosis, a condition that causes weak, porous bones. Fewer, back pain may be caused by more severe injuries that result from accidents and falls.
Acquired conditions and diseases: A lot of medical problems can cause or contribute to back pain. They contain scoliosis, which causes curvature of the spine and does not usually cause pain until mid-life; spondylolisthesis; various forms of arthritis, as well as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.
Whereas osteoporosis itself is not painful, it can lead to painful fractures of the vertebrae. Further causes of back pain include pregnancy; kidney stones or infections; endometriosis, which is the buildup of uterine tissue in places outside the uterus; and fibromyalgia, which causes fatigue and widespread muscle pain.
Infections and tumors: Even though they are not common causes of back pain, infections can cause pain when they entail the vertebrae, a condition called osteomyelitis, or when they occupy the discs that cushion the vertebrae, which is called discitis. Tumors, also, are relatively rare causes of back pain. Rarely, tumors begin in the back, but more often they appear in the back as a result of cancer that has spread from elsewhere in the body.
Even if the causes of back pain are typically physical, it is important to know that emotional stress can play a role in how severe pain is and how long it lasts. Stress can have an effect on the body in many ways, including causing back muscles to become tense and painful.
|
|
