Lower back pain: causes, symptoms and relief

This post is part of The Ultimate Guide to Back Pain Relief

Low back pain is a common condition that most people experience at some point in their lives. There are many reasons why someone may have lower back pain, but the treatment depends on the underlying cause.

Anatomy

The spine is made up of 24 bones, called vertebrae, which are stacked on top of one another. These bones connect to protect the spinal cord. The seven small vertebrae that begin at the base of the skull and form the neck comprise the cervical spine.

Your spinal cord and nerves travel through the spinal canal carrying messages between your brain and muscles. The intervertebral discs between your vertebrae are flexible, flat and round discs and are about a half-inch thick. They act as shock absorbers when you walk or run and allow motion between the vertebrae.

Cause

Because low back pain is so common, it also means there are many causes, including:

Degenerative spondylolisthesis
Spinal stenosis
Scoliosis
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Degenerative Disc Disease
Facet Arthritis
Stress Fractures/Pars Fractures
Muscle Strain/Muscle Weakness
Isthmic Spondylolisthesis

Back pain symptoms

Common causes of low back pain are often troubling but do not require urgent medical care. These symptoms of pain may vary from mild to extreme.

Pain can occur slowly or suddenly
Pain that is dull or achy
Pain may be constant or come and go
Pain may be worse when bending and lifting
Pain that worsens when sitting, standing or walking
Pain that improves when lying down or reclining

Some symptoms may indicate a more serious problem which requires urgent attention from a physician.

Pain associated with a fever of 101 degrees or higher
Pain after an accident such as a fall
Severe pain in patients with a history of cancer
Pain that radiates into the leg with a sudden loss of function in the leg or loss of the ability to control bowel or bladder function.

Physician examination

To treat your pain your physician will ask you for your complete medical history and have you describe your symptoms. A physical examination will also be performed. The physician may look at your back and push different areas to see if it hurts. An imaging test such as an X-ray, CT scan, MRI , bone scan or bone density test may be necessary to confirm a diagnosis.

Make an appointment with an OrthoIndy spine surgeon

Lower back pain relief

In general, treatment will start with nonsurgical options such as:

Physical therapy
Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, aspirin or muscle relaxants
Narcotic pain medication may help
Steroids either taken orally or injected into the spine (make an appointment with an OrthoIndy Non-operative Pain Management Physician)
Braces
Chiropractic therapy
At home exercises or stretching techniques
Weight control
Smoking cessation
Regular aerobic activity

Injections and surgical treatment

If a patient does not feel relief after a period of time they may benefit from injections or possibly surgery. Determining the best course of action is based on establishing the correct diagnosis for the cause of pain and then creating the plan most appropriate for the patient and their diagnosis.