What Did I Do to My Back?!

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

09 Dec 2008 04:28 PM

Back pain is a pretty common complaint. But there isn't just one type of back pain -- and there isn't just one thing that causes the problem. Here are three major causes of back pain.

A sprain or strain is the most common cause of back pain. Tendons and ligaments are the stretchy stuff in your body that (among other things) hold the vertebrae of your spine in place and attach muscles to the spinal column. An injury or tear to a tendon, ligament, or muscle can cause some serious pain. Why? If these support pieces are weak or injured, you can end up pulling your back out of alignment with even a simple motion.

Disk problems can mean major pain. The "disks" in your back are the tissue that sits between the vertebrae of your spine. They work like shock absorbers, so the vertebrae don't crunch together! If your disks are worn down (by disease, injury, arthritis, or simple aging), the nerves in your back can get irritated or squeezed. That can mean big pain for your back. There are more than fifty nerves that branch out from the spinal cord.

Vertebrae problems aren't limited to disks. The twenty-four vertebrae of the spinal column can become cracked or slip out of alignment, resulting in back pain. The five lower back vertebrae (known as the lumbar region) support the weight of the entire torso, making them a prime culprit for vertebrae problems. What can contribute to problems with the vertebrae themselves? Excess weight, congenital spine problems, arthritic bone spurs, and hard or sudden falls.

Sometimes, back pain is caused by a problem elsewhere in the body. This is known as "referred pain" because it doesn't originate in your back. Some possible causes of referred back pain can include: kidney problems, pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and problems with the reproductive organs.

Knowing what's causing the pain can be an important first step in solving the problem. If you're experiencing chronic back pain, talk to your doctor.

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Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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