
Decoding Back Pain: Understanding the Causes
Back pain has become a common problem that troubles many people today. From sitting in one position for a long time to lifting weights incorrectly, back pain can occur for various reasons. This pain can affect your daily activities and reduce your quality of life. So, let’s talk in detail today about the causes of back pain and some simple and effective tips to manage it.
Why Does Back Pain Occur?
There can be many reasons for back pain, some of the main ones are as follows:
Muscle Strain or Ligament Sprain:
This is the most common cause of back pain. Lifting heavy weights incorrectly, suddenly twisting in a wrong way, or an injury can strain the back muscles or ligaments, causing severe pain.
Disc Problems:
- Herniated Disc or Slipped Disc: There are cushion-like discs between the vertebrae of our spine that absorb shock. If a disc slips from its place or ruptures, it can press on nearby nerves, which can cause pain, tingling, and weakness from the back to the legs.
- Degenerative Disc Disease: With increasing age, the discs wear out and dry up, which reduces the space between the vertebrae and causes pain.
Arthritis:
- Osteoarthritis: This causes pain due to wear and tear in the joints of the spinal vertebrae.
- Ankylosing Spondylitis: This is a type of inflammatory arthritis that affects the joints of the spine, causing the back to become stiff and painful.
Poor Posture:
Sitting, standing, or sleeping incorrectly for a long time (especially in desk jobs) puts extra pressure on the back, causing strain on the muscles and spine.
Excess Weight:
Excess body weight puts unnecessary stress on the back and spine, which increases the likelihood of pain.
Other Medical Conditions:
- Osteoporosis: Weakening of bones, which can cause the back vertebrae to fracture.
- Spinal Stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal, which puts pressure on the nerves.
- Kidney problems, infection, or tumor: These can also be a cause of back pain, although these cases are less common.