Back Pain Symptoms

Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.
The symptoms for back pain are:

• Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.
• Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.
• Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.
• Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.
• Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back. 

Back pain affects millions of people every year, and is caused by many different ailments, illnesses, and injuries that can occur. Figuring out your own back pain symptoms can often help you determine which type of pain you have, how it is best treated, and what you can do to avoid having back problems in the future. Everyone is different, and there are many different types of pain and symptoms that can occur in them. Taking the time to learn about the different symptoms and causes of back pain will allow you to have a better chance at getting the right diagnosis, treatment, and relief that you need.

Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can include many different things. For the sake of knowing when to seek medical attention, here is a list divided into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe symptoms, along with recommendations as to when you should seek medical attention:

Mild back pain symptoms:

• dull aches
• occasional sharp pains with no lasting effect
• discomfort or tenderness
• pain occurs only after strenuous activity or certain situation

Moderate back pain symptoms:

• chronic aching
• sharp pains that last longer and are more painful
• generalized discomfort that is more unpleasant
• occasional numbness or tingling
• pain at all times or during daily activities

Severe back pain symptoms:

• dull pain that is constant
• sharp pain that is long lasting or constant
• pain in the chest, legs, or other areas of the body radiating from the back
• numbness or tingling
• inability to complete basic activities (walking, standing, sitting, etc.)

In addition to these various types of symptoms, you also need to understand that when you experience any of them in addition to other symptoms that might seem unrelated, you need to seek medical attention. While pain in itself is fairly common, it can also be an indicator of many other illnesses or conditions, such as kidney stones or disease, shingles (in older adults accompanied with fever and rash), and even labor if you are pregnant and the pain is in the lower back.

You need to pay attention to the types of symptoms that you're having when it comes to back pain to ensure that it really is back pain and not something more serious. Even then, you need to ensure that the symptoms aren't serious enough to require immediate medical attention. If they are, you should call your doctor or visit an emergency room or urgent care center right away. If you can wait or if the pain is minimal, try giving it a day or two to see if it subsides and to see if your symptoms go away. If they don't go away within a few days or things get worse, you once again need to seek medical attention promptly. While it would be nice to just wait it out and assume that it's no big deal, you could do permanent damage to your back by doing this.

Pain comes in all shapes and sizes, and it doesn't discriminate. Something that you think could be a minor issue could really be the start of something much bigger, which is why you need to be very careful when you're attempting to self-diagnose your back pain. The people who are at the highest risk of having problems are those who are unhealthy or in poor physical condition, people who do heavy lifting or hard labor, and those who sit or stand for long periods of time. However, people who are fairly normal and don't have strenuous jobs can experience back pain, as well, but their symptoms will generally go away and the issue will be corrected much sooner than in those who are more prone to having pain.

Back pain symptoms are different for everyone. Pay careful attention to how they present themselves and how severe they are. Also, look for other clues that might point to something beyond back pain as the cause of the symptoms just to be safe. In the end, if you feel that the issue is solely back pain, you can seek treatment from your doctor, or wait it out if you feel that it is mild enough and it doesn't get worse.

Back Pain Symptoms

Back Pain Treatment

About 95% of all Americans suffer from back pain at some point or the other in their lifetime. While it is not a disease as such, back pain is definitely a symptom that cannot be ignored. If the cause of back pain can be identified, then one can actually go in for effective back pain treatment. People have numerous options for back pain treatment in Dallas now, thanks to the increasing awareness of alternative routes of treatment.

Let's look at the surfeit of back treatment methods available:

Spinal decompression: A tremendous improvement on tradition traction, this method can be used for herniated discs, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck and back pain. It is also an effective substitute for surgery, drugs and extensive therapy.

Chiropractic treatment: This natural healthcare method takes a holistic approach to treating back pain. That means that not just the symptoms but also the cause is worked upon. It is based on the simple principle that a healthy spine and nervous system greatly improve the body's natural healing mechanisms. After all, the spine is the main conduit of all movement, feeling and bodily function.

Acupuncture: This ancient Chinese medicine system aims at balancing the body's energy flow by simulating certain meridian points or channels. Disposable, sterilized, single use, filiform needles are placed at specific points, which correspond to the organs and functions of the human body. Micro-current needles are also used, depending on the patients' treatment requirements. Fibromyalgia, back and neck pain, cramping, cysts, acute conditions, wounds, psoriasis and chronic arthritis can be treated by this method.

Laser Treatment: Low intensity laser light is used to increase cellular metabolism with no side effects what-so-ever. The process of photobiostimulation has recently found FDA approval (2002), despite the fact that medical experiments on its efficacy have been ongoing since the 1960s.

Physiotherapy: This route increases flexibility, strength and endurance of the body's musculoskeletal system by using electrical stimulation, traction, ice and heat application, joint and soft tissue mobilization, etc. Physiotherapy is only started after profiling the patient's range of motion, balance, coordination, muscle control, strength and of course, medical history.

Massage therapy: This hand-based manipulation of muscle, skin, tendons, ligaments and joints is used to reduce physical pain, increase muscle flexibility and relaxation, improve circulation and healing, and reduce stress and to maintain physical functioning of the body.

Back Pain Treatment

Causes of Back Pain

It is important to understand that back pain is a symptom of a medical condition, not a diagnosis itself. Medical problems that can cause back pain include the following:

Mechanical problems: A mechanical problem is due to the way your spine moves or the way you feel when you move your spine in certain ways. Perhaps the most common mechanical cause of back pain is a condition called intervertebral disc degeneration, which simply means that the discs located between the vertebrae of the spine are breaking down with age. As they deteriorate, they lose their cushioning ability. This problem can lead to pain if the back is stressed. Another cause of back pain is the wearing down of the facet joints, which are the large joints that connect each vertebrae to another. Other mechanical causes of back pain include spasms, muscle tension, and ruptured discs, which are also called herniated discs.

Injuries: Spine injuries such as sprains and fractures can cause either short-lived or chronic back pain. Sprains are tears in the ligaments that support the spine, and they can occur from twisting or lifting improperly. Fractured vertebrae are often the result of osteoporosis, a condition that causes weak, porous bones. Less commonly, back pain may be caused by more severe injuries that result from accidents and falls.

Acquired conditions and diseases: Many medical problems can cause or contribute to back pain. They include scoliosis, which causes curvature of the spine and does not usually cause pain until mid-life; spondylolisthesis; various forms of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis; and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. While osteoporosis itself is not painful, it can lead to painful fractures of the vertebrae. Other causes of back pain include pregnancy; kidney stones or infections; endometriosis, which is the buildup of uterine tissue in places outside the uterus; and fibromyalgia, which causes fatigue and widespread muscle pain.

Infections and tumors: Although they are not common causes of back pain, infections can cause pain when they involve the vertebrae, a condition called osteomyelitis, or when they involve the discs that cushion the vertebrae, which is called discitis. Tumors, too, are relatively rare causes of back pain. Occasionally, tumors begin in the back, but more often they appear in the back as a result of cancer that has spread from elsewhere in the body.

Although the causes of back pain are usually physical, it is important to know that emotional stress can play a role in how severe pain is and how long it lasts. Stress can affect the body in many ways, including causing back muscles to become tense and painful. Untreated depression and anxiety can make back pain feel much worse. Likewise, insomnia, or the lack of sleep, can also contribute to back pain.

Causes of Back Pain

Introduction of Back Pain

Get Rid of Sciatic Pain For Good!Spine-Worx Back Realignment DeviceBody Back BuddyImage via Wikipedia

Back pain may occur in the upper, middle, or lower back; it is most often experienced in the lower back. It may originate from the bones and ligaments forming the spine, the muscles and tendons supporting the back, the nerves that exit the spinal column, or even the internal organs.

Description
Back pain can range from mild, annoying discomfort to excruciating agony. Depending on how long it lasts, it can be described as acute or chronic. Acute back pain comes on suddenly but lasts only briefly, and is often intense.

While chronic back pain is typically not as severe as acute back pain, it persists for a longer period and may recur frequently. The duration of acute back pain is a few days to a few weeks, with improvement during that time, whereas chronic back pain lasts for more than three months and often gets progressively worse.

The back is composed of bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other tissues that make up the posterior, or back half, of the trunk extending from the neck to the pelvis. Running through and supporting the back is the spinal column, which forms a cage-like structure enclosing the spinal cord. Nerve signals directing movement travel from the brain to the limbs, while nerve signals transmitting pain and other sensations travel from the limbs to the brain. All nerve signals pass through the spinal cord.

If the individual vertebrae stacked together to form the spinal column slide out of place, which is referred to as spondylolisthesis, pain may result as the bones rub against each other or as nerves entering the spinal cord are compressed.

Introduction of Back Pain