Back pain is a discomfort most commonly located in the lumbar (lower) region of the spine and surrounding tissues. It is an extremely common ailment and is most often caused by injury or stress to a muscle, ligament, bone, or nerve. Low back pain can become chronic if the cause of the discomfort is not properly treated.
Question: What are common causes of back pain?
The most common causes of back pain are sudden tears or strains of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments of the back. The area of such tears is tender to the touch, and the pain is increased by moving about.
Pain also can be caused by chronic strain to the back caused by curvatures of the spine (lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis), having one leg shorter than the other, bad posture, or repetitive lifting of heavy objects.
Question: What is a slipped disk?
A "slipped," or herniated, disk occurs when one of the intervertebral disks, which serve to separate the vertebrae and act to absorb the shock of motion, slips out of place. This displacement can compress a spinal nerve and place a strain on the surrounding ligaments. This can also result in sciatica, where pressure on the sciatic nerve causes pain down one or both of the legs.
Question: What other spinal disorders cause back pain?
Pain can result from osteoarthritis, where the roughened surface of the bone results in local irritation. In osteoporosis, the bones become brittle due to lack of calcium; vertebrae can, therefore, collapse, resulting in pain and possible nerve compression. In young and middle-aged people, a disorder that causes the vertebrae to fuse together (ankylosing spondylitis) produces pain and gradual stiffening of the spine. Also cancer can spread to a vertebra with resulting pain.
Chronic deformities of the spine (lordosis, kyphosis, scoliosis) can result in pain, as can a condition called spondylolisthesis, in which one or more vertebrae are not correctly formed. This can lead to partial dislocation of the spine.
