Your Back Pain – Explained

Drop your hands down and stretch your arms backward. Try to squeeze your shoulder blades together. If it feels uncomfortable, that is because you aren't used to it yet. Try it a few times a day for a week, unless it immediately makes your symptoms worse. Next week you can add a few more times a day. Many of us forget about our head when we are stretching, and our head moves forward. This can make our back pain symptoms worse or cause a headache. Nov 14, 2010 By Dana Green Photo Caption An acute back injury from lifting too heavy weights needs immediate attention. Photo Credit Steven Frame/iStockphoto/Getty Images It is likely that slumping and hunching over computers and hand-held devices is a contributory factor in the different types of back pain reported by different generations," Hammond said. "Younger people are far more likely to be hunched over a device on a sofa, and would benefit from paying close attention to the basics of good posture." Back pain is a common reason for decreased activity levels in young adults, according to the National Institutes of Health. Eight in 10 people will complain of back pain at some point in their lives. Sciatica Nerve Sciatica is inflammation of the sciatica nerve, which starts in the lower spine and goes down the back of the legs. Pressure on the nerve causes a sharp pain that can be felt in the butt and may extend to your thigh, knee, or even your foot. The pain is sometimes described similar to an electric shock. This is an obvious sign of a pinched sciatic nerve, which is being constricted by bones, cartilage, or muscles. Spondylolisthesis This is a slippage of one vertebra to another, causing pressure on the spinal nerves. Spondylolisthesis is a narrowing of the spinal canal. This can cause deformity when it gets worse. At least 90 percent of all American adults will have back pain at some time in their lives, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Most people who suffer from back pain are able to return to work within a few months. Upper back spasms result from injury or poor posture. It is the body's natural response to strain on the tissues and ligaments of the back. Spasms also can be the result of a serious condition such as arthritis or osteoporosis. Though the condition can be painful, some simple home remedies and lifestyle changes can alleviate the problem. Time constraints and often laziness result in people trying to lift things that are far out of their reach. Move up to the item so you don't risk a back injury. You should make sure that you move closer to objects that are too far away, and take the time to do things the right way. Have a massage. Touch therapy can truly bring relief from back pain. Tight muscles in around the back area can be loosened by a massage, which relaxes the muscles and helps the pain go away. Get a massage once a week to help keep your back pain in check. Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spine in the upper or lower back, which results in the compression of nerves extending from the affected area. In unusual cases, it can be present at birth, but more commonly occurs due to degeneration of the spinal column during the aging process, so it typically affects older individuals. In its more severe forms, it can cause symptoms like incontinence, severe leg and foot pain, and sexual dysfunction. The spinal cord occupies the hollow space in the vertebrae called the spinal canal. When this space becomes narrowed in the lower back, causing pain and pressure on nerves, the condition is lumbar stenosis. Future spine problems are possible for all patients after spine surgery. If you had spinal fusion and laminectomy, the spinal column above and below the fusion are more likely to have problems in the future. If you needed more than one kind of back surgery (such as laminectomy and spinal fusion), you may have more of a chance of future problems. Spinal fusion is surgery to fuse spine bones (vertebrae) that cause you to have back problems. Fusing means two bones are permanently placed together so there is no longer movement between them. Arthritis - patients with osteoarthritis commonly experience problems with the joints in the hips, lower back, knees and hands. In some cases spinal stenosis can develop - the space around the spinal cord narrows. Abnormal curvature of the spine - if the spine curves in an unusual way the patient is more likely to experience back pain. An example is scoliosis , when the spine curves to the side. Cancer of the spine - a tumor located on the spine may press against a nerve, resulting in back pain. A large number of patients opt for complementary therapies, as well as conventional treatments; some opt just for complementary therapies.