Posts Tagged ‘Cause Of Lower Back Pain’
Pregnancy and Lower Back Pain: What to Do!
The decisions of picking a name… The anticipation and excitement… Painting the new room… Clothing, Diapers and family celebrations. The joy of a pregnancy is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Unfortunately however, for many women the later months of pregnancy can prove to be quite challenging. One common problem many women face is lower back pain.
Lower back pain can be a horrible interruption in day-to-day activities for a pregnant woman. More importantly, it interferes with their quality of life, not to mention the enjoyment of one of the most memorable times of their life.
The obvious cause of lower back pain is the biomechanical stress being placed on the mother by the added weight of baby. As the baby gains weight the mother is pulled forward. In order to compensate for this forward pull, the mother has to lean her upper body backward. This puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the low back and pelvis.
This explanation of low back pain sounds complete. It is a true explanation but is only a small part the problem. The “hidden” cause of lower back pain is actually muscle imbalances. In fact muscle imbalances are a common cause of lower back pain in pregnancy but it is also responsible for back pain in a majority of the population.
The strength and tone of the muscular system is an extremely important factor when assessing a patient with lower back pain. Unfortunately, muscle imbalances are not addressed properly by most health practitioners… but just because they are not trained in identifying and addressing muscle imbalances, it doesn’t mean you have to continue to suffer…
But before I share with you the solution to this problem, let me first explain in more detail what a muscle imbalance is and how it causes back pain and sciatica…
In a nutshell, muscle imbalances work like this. Muscles work together with opposing muscles to allow movement at joints. One muscle stretches while the other shortens. Each side should be of equal tone and strength. When a pregnant woman walks, moves, bends, twists or sleeps she will typically do so in an unbalanced and awkward manner to accommodate for her increased weight. In addition, various everyday activities and positions we put our body in create imbalances in the muscle groups and during pregnancy it only worsens…
Muscle imbalances then pull the pelvis and low back out of alignment and this places uneven and excessive stress on the muscles, bones and joints.
The spine is comprised of 24 moveable bones with a shock-absorbing disc in between each bone. This spinal column rests on three large bones called the pelvic girdle. When this spinal column is in proper alignment it will carry a majority of the weight and stress being placed on the body. When one or more of these 24 bones misaligns, especially the pelvis, the muscles work overtime so to speak. They now have to carry the weight that the spinal column is supposed to handle. At this point the muscles are unbalanced and are very prone to an injury. Lower back pain is the most common expression of this problem.
If the above scenario takes place then the stage has been set for lower back pain and dysfunction. Not only does the soon to be Mom have to deal with safely carrying the baby, she has to now do it with a painful lower back. Let’s face it, the soon to be Mom is going to be in pain and she is not going to enjoy her most cherished time in life.
The Solution
The solution is based on a better understanding of muscle imbalances and how your body works… The first thing you have to do is fully understand what muscle imbalances are, how they are created and how they cause back pain and sciatica…
Once you understand muscle imbalances the next step is to identify the ones you have and understand how they are creating your pain… after you have identified the imbalances is when you can then begin addressing them with the right combination of corrective exercises, stretches and treatments…
Dr. Tomas Sullivan
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/pregnancy-and-lower-back-pain-what-to-do-99299.html
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What Are The Causes Of Pain In Lower Right Back?
Back pain is a complaint doctors hear about frequently. People want information on backaches. They want doctors to treat pain in the back. Many want to know the Causes of pain in the lower right back.
Information about the Lower Right Back
It is important to understand the structure of the lower right back if we are to understand what Causes pain there.
Your back, with its spinal column of vertebrae, connecting ligaments, tendons, large muscles, and nerves, is designed to be incredibly strong and flexible. Yet things can go wrong with this awesome structure.
* Muscles can be strained
* Ligaments can be torn
* Joints can be injured
* Bones can be fractured
* Nerves can be irritated
* Discs can be herniated
* Stress can tighten back structure
The lower back seems especially susceptible to injury, since it bears the weight of the torso, and makes more movement than the upper back. Its constant work can cause parts to break down and wear out over the years.
The lower right back has soft tissues that can be involved in pain. Those large, complex muscle groups that support your spine and help you move can be strained by improper lifting or posture. In fact, muscle strain is the most common cause of lower back pain. Twisting or pulling one of the following muscles can produce pain in the lower right back.
* Extensor muscles: These paired muscles in the lower back and gluteus help support your spine. If the one on the lower right back is injured, it will be painful.
* Flexor muscles: Attached to the spine’s front, these muscles help you flex, bend forward, and lift things. Again, injury to the right flexor muscle can cause lower right back pain.
* Oblique muscles: This muscle group is attached to the sides of the spine. The oblique muscles help your spine rotate, and give you good posture.
In addition to simple muscle strain, injury to ligaments, joints, and bones can also cause muscle pain. If one of these structures is injured or inflamed, back muscles can go into spasm, drastically limiting your movement and cause pain in the lower right back.
Stress is a common cause of pain in the lower right back. Stress will make your back muscles tighten. This happens to every muscle in the body, as we move into a “fight or flight” response. Muscles that are tightened lack the energy they need to support the spine. If the stress is frequent, and measures are not taken immediately to relieve it, lower right back pain can easily develop.
Information on Chronic Lower Right Back Pain
If lower right back pain lasts more than two weeks, you are likely to stop using the aching muscles in order to protect yourself from that pain. With disuse, the muscles can waste (atrophy) and weaken. This will increase the pain, since your muscles are less able to support your spine. If you increase your protection, and continue to avoid using the muscles, the cycle will continue, with the pain worsening at each turn. Chronic lower right back pain will result. This is why doctors urge patients with lower right back pain to exercise daily.
Information about Lower Right Back Pain Symptoms
You need to understand the symptoms of your pain as well. It is difficult to treat pain without knowing clearly what and where the symptoms are. You will want to gain a sense of exactly where your lower right back hurts. Is the pain focused in one small area, or does it spread throughout the lower right back? Is it confined to the lower right back or does it radiate into other parts of the body? Here are two major kinds of pain in the lower right back.
Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #1
Is yours a deep, aching, dull, or burning pain? Does it travel down your leg? If so, your lower right back pain may be chronic back pain.
Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #2
Perhaps yours is a very sharp pain, deep in the lower right back. This symptom may be the result of a back injury.
Information on Relieving Lower Right Back Pain
My personal physician assures me that the best relief for lower right back pain is usually exercise. Gentle exercises, performed daily with warm-up and cool-down, will strengthen the core muscles around the lower back area, relieving the pain and making them less susceptible to future injury.
CAUTION: Pain in the lower right back may also be caused by kidney stones or other non-muscular problems. Be sure to ask your health care provider for advice on any back pain.
Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/what-are-the-Causes-of-pain-in-lower-right-back-117782.html
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Oh What a Pain This Is. Cause of Lower Back Pain
If the pain in your Back worsens, or you can’t find relief through moderate exercise and over the counter medications, it’s time to see a doctor to find the cause of lower Back pain. There can be many reasons why you’re having back pain and they can extend beyond simple muscle sprains. Finding the cause can be tricky though, because many times the problem won’t show up on an x-ray or MRI. For example, a spine slightly out of alignment with your body may not be very noticeable, yet it causes d8aily pain.
The doctor will do many tests to begin eliminating each possible cause of lower back pain. For example, he or she will manipulate the leg through various moves to determine if the pain increases or results in pain elsewhere in the body. Some tests you will be familiar with such as the reflex test. Other tests may be unfamiliar but they are very simple. If the doctor determines the basic moves indicate further testing is necessary to find the cause of lower back pain, the next steps will be taken.
Some of the tests the doctor will perform entail the use of very high tech medical equipment. Each test can provide a higher level of detail of your spine and surrounding muscle and ligaments. Most people have had an x-ray in their life, but an x-ray will only show bones. If the cause of lower back pain is muscle, tendon, ligament or nerve damage, the x-ray is pretty much a useless test.
The MRI, on the other hand, gives a lot more information about your back. It can show the doctor the condition of every part of the structure of your back including the nerves and discs. There are so many possible causes of lower back pain, that when pain won’t subside, the MRI is a great tool for diagnostic testing. Other testing methods include a CAT scan or a discogram. A discogram involves injecting dye into the spinal discs to pinpoint the source of pain.
So What can be the cause of lower back pain? There are numerous conditions that can result in ongoing back pain.
* herniated disc
* Pinched nerve
* Strained muscle
* Spinal tumor
* Degenerative disease
* Infection
* Arthritis
* Osteoporosis
* Fractures
With all these potential causes of back pain, it’s no wonder it can take several months and lots of testing to determine the problem. The lower back is particularly susceptible to pain, because it has a lot of pressure put on it while sitting. People who sit at desks all day frequently end up with lower back pain. In that case, strengthening the lower back muscles can work wonders. There are even special chairs made that take the strain and pressure off the lower back while sitting.
The good news is that most of the time the cause of lower back pain is quite simple, and can be corrected with moderate exercise.
Ben Thompson
http://www.articlesbase.com/diseases-and-conditions-articles/oh-what-a-pain-this-is-cause-of-lower-back-pain-330018.html
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