Back Pain: Causes & Symptoms

Many of you may have experienced back pain at some point during your lives. Back pain is one of the most common health problems that people face. Some of you may experience one-off episode while others may experience it more than once. Back pain is not a disease but it can be a symptom of an underlying disease. In most cases, back pain may not be a serious health problem. Rather it is caused by simple muscle strain and the pain goes away on its own in a couple of days.

Causes of back pain

There are multiple potential causes for back pain. Here are some of them:

1. Strained muscles: Repeated heavy lifting or a sudden awkward jerk can strain back muscles. Lifting something improperly or lifting something that is too heavy or making an abrupt movement, especially while playing sports, can result in straining your back.
2. Poor posture: Everyday activities like straining the neck forward while working on the computer or driving, standing or sitting for too long, sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress, etc., can result in poor posture which can further cause back pain.
3. Arthritis: Osteoarthritis of the spine can cause stiffness or pain in the neck or back. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage located between the spine’s joint is worn out because of ageing. If a person is obese, then the excess weight places an additional burden on the joints leading to back pain.
4. Ruptured discs: Each vertebra in the spine has rubbery discs. These discs are there to act as cushions. They allow the fine to flex. However, when these discs are under too much pressure, they rupture, resulting in back pain.
5. Bulging discs: When spinal discs start to wear out, instead of rupturing, it may also bulge outward. The bulging of the discs causes the back to pain.
6. Osteoporosis: One of the most common causes of back pain is osteoporosis. It is a condition that the density of the bones to decrease. Human bones are very strong, but as you age, these bones start becoming fragile and, thus, start to have holes.
7. Spondylolysis: Spondylosis is a condition that occurs to regular wear and tear of the spine. The condition affects the spine’s movement and the nerves, resulting in back pain.
8. Kidney problems: One of the early warning signs of kidney problems like kidney stone or infection and kidney diseases is lower back pain.
9. Sciatica: The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the human body and it runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. Whenever there is pressure on the sciatic nerve because of any injury, it leads to pain in the lower back.

Symptoms of back pain

One of the primary symptoms of back pain is pain anywhere in the back. It can be anywhere from back to all the way down to the buttocks and legs. Back pain can also cause pain in other parts of the body. Here are a few symptoms of back pain:

• Muscle pain
• Severe pain in the back
• Pain that gets worse when you bend, lift stand or walk
• Pain that improves when you lie down

When to see a doctor:
Often back pain goes away on its own without any treatment. However, if the back pain is accompanied by the following symptoms then you should see a doctor:

• Weight loss
• Fever
• Swelling on the back
• Pain in the legs
• Urinary incontinence
• No control over bowel movements
• Numbness around genitals and buttocks

If you are experiencing back pain and looking for the best orthopaedic doctor in Siliguri, visit NeotiaGetwel Healthcare Centre. The hospital specializes in spine surgery and advanced orthopaedic treatment. Visit http://www.neotiagetwelsiliguri.com/ to know more about the orthopaedic department.