Low Back Pain Part 1 – Causes and Symptoms
It has been found that about 70 to 90% of people experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime.
It is a serious public health concern that adversely affects daily functioning and leaves a person with long-lasting disabling symptoms.
Although the prevalence of low back pain is observed, research suggests that many Australians do not follow clinical guidelines on how to manage it. Rather, it involves mismanagement and unnecessary treatments that aggravate the condition.
Therefore, it is crucial to know what causes low back pain and how to manage it to sustain a high quality of life.
In this first part of the blog, let’s explore some fundamental facts about lower back pain.
Causes
Low back pain affects the lumbar spine, which receives significant weight from the upper body. While most low back pain is acute, lasting between a few days to a few weeks, it may also become chronic, which could last for 12 weeks or more.
Of many potential causes of low back pain, most of them are due to strain or damage to muscles, ligaments, or joints. Occasionally, these include:
- Medical conditions such as sciatica, a slipped disc, arthritis, osteoporosis and so on.
- Serious conditions such as broken bone in the spine, an infection, or cancer.
Such pathoanatomical causes, however, only comprise 8 to 15% of low back pain causes. In most cases, the pain is triggered by daily activities like:
- Manual handling
- Lifting and carrying heavy objects
- Bad posture (slouching or hunched over)
- Overstretching
- Driving for a long time
- Overuse of muscles (e.g. exercise, repetitive movements)
- Muscle tension from stress
Risk Factors
There are several risk factors for low back pain:
- Being overweight: extra weight puts more pressure on the spine
- Lack of exercise: can lead to lack of balance and bad posture
- Smoking: this can damage tissues in the back or lead to an unhealthy lifestyle in general
- Pregnancy: this puts more pressure on the lower back
- Prolonged use of medicines: this may weaken bones, such as corticosteroids
- Stress: can cause muscle tension in the back
- Depression: this mental health condition is correlated with weight gain and lack of exercise, increasing the likelihood of experiencing low back pain and further exacerbates depression. This creates a cycle of pain.
Symptoms
With the varying causes of low back pain, its symptoms also range greatly. Symptoms can be mild or extreme and the pain being dull or sharp in intensity.
Here are some common symptoms:
- Dull, achy pain in the lower back
- Stinging, burning pain that travels from the low back to the thighs, lower legs, or feet
- Tightness and muscle spasms in the low back, pelvis, or hips
- Pain or difficulty in walking, sitting or standing up straight
The following symptoms may indicate a serious underlying problem:
- Incontinence
- Numbness near rectum or genitals
- Numbness, pins and needles, or weakness in legs
- Chills, fever
- Nausea and vomiting
- Unrelenting pain at night
If any of these symptoms show, it is encouraged to seek medical advice immediately.
In the next blog, we’ll talk about how to manage low back pain. For more helpful information like this, contact Living Waters Aged Care. We provide monthly newsletters that contain informative contents, and ensure all our clients feel supported in our compassionate care.
