Common Cause of Back Pain and Its Treatments

“Back pain” is a general term that can mean many different things. From nerve pain to strained back muscles, there are various reasons your back might hurt. Dealing with chronic back pain is mentally and physically exhausting, and you deserve relief.  The first step in properly managing your chronic back pain is to know what’s behind it. Use this guide to shed some light on the potential root cause of back pain, and available treatments for your comfort. 

Why Does Your Back Hurt? 

If you’ve experienced severe back pain before, your first question is probably, “Why?” It might feel like you’re willing to do anything to stop the pain. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t one universal cause for severe back pain. If you’re struggling with it, it’s time to examine what might be causing it. 

Some of the circumstances that can cause chronic back pain include: 

• Neurodegenerative disease (like MS or ALS) 
• Car accidents 
• Sports injuries 
• Musculoskeletal problems 
• Spinal alignment issues 
• Spinal cord infections and diseases 
• Orthopedic (bone) problems 
• Strained back muscles 
• Poor posture 
• Neuropathic pain 

These are just a few of the debilitating problems you may be dealing with. A qualified healthcare professional can guide you to the proper diagnosis. 

Muscular Back Pain

Your back is full of muscles that help you sit, stand, and move around. When one of these muscles’ experiences overuse, stress, or strain, you’ll feel it in major ways. 

Movement Injuries 

If you twist, sleep, or lift something in the wrong manner, you could end up with a strained back muscle. This will feel different than regular soreness after a back workout. 

Sports injuries can affect your back muscles. Especially in contact sports and other intense activities, your back faces many risks each time you play. The more conditioned and flexible you are, the less likely you are to get an overuse or muscle strain injury. 

Stress 

Psychological stress can also lead to muscular back pain. When you’re stressed, your body tenses up in ways you may not even notice. The muscles in your back may become stiff, strained, or generally uncomfortable as a result. 

Lack of Sleep 

You also tend to lose sleep when you’re undergoing lots of mental stress. Your body uses sleep as the primary time to repair your muscles and make them stronger. If you aren’t getting enough rest at night or you work the third shift, your back muscles are more prone to pain and injury. 

Neurological Back Problems 

Your nervous system sends messages to all parts of your body using electrical impulses. The central hub for all of the nerves that extend outward from your body is your spinal cord. Neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries can impair your back in surprising ways. 

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathy develops when nerves throughout your body become damaged in some way. This is a common symptom of neurodegenerative diseases like MS. When your peripheral nerves are damaged, they can’t communicate with your brain properly, leading to strange sensations and pain. 

Neuropathic back pain may feel like numbness, tingling, burning, “pins and needles,” or sharp excruciating pains. If you suffer from a neurological health condition, there’s a solid chance your back pain is related. 

Car Accidents and Spine Injuries 

Automobile accidents exert a lot of force and impact on your body all at once. When you get into an accident, even if it’s minor, your back and neck muscles can experience whiplash. In extreme cases, car accidents can also cause spinal injuries. 

Spinal cord injuries are very serious. Your spinal cord protects your nerves and secures their pathway to your brain. Chronic back pain, numbness, and loss of limb function could indicate an underlying spinal injury. 

Herniated Discs and Pinched Nerves 

If one of the cartilage discs between your vertebrae becomes dislodged, it can press on the nerves surrounding it. A herniated disc can spell trouble for your mobility, limb functions, and comfort for years. 

Vertebral problems can also pinch the nerves in your back, which results in the same thing — long-lasting sharp back pain. Discomfort from a pinched nerve will likely feel sudden, sharp, and breathtaking. 

Lifestyle Factors and Back Pain

Certain aspects of your lifestyle may be causing your chronic back pain and soreness. These factors aren’t considered diseases themselves, but they can lead to chronic health problems that become long-term conditions. 

The following are risk factors for chronic back pain: 

• Obesity 
• Poor posture 
• Sedentary lifestyle 
• Overtraining 
• Poor nutrition 
• Labor-intensive jobs 
• Improper lifting techniques 

Whenever possible, you should avoid these risks. Steps like wearing a posture corrector and lifting heavy objects with your leg muscles can help prevent chronic back problems. 

Solving Your Pain: Back Treatment Options

You don’t have to live in unbearable pain forever. You have options when it comes to severe back pain treatment. Every person has a different threshold for pain, and you may prefer less invasive, more natural treatments than someone else. 

Medication 

Pain medication will block your brain from receiving pain signals in your back. Medication is a valid option for people struggling to function due to chronic back problems. However, most medications don’t treat the root cause of your back pain. It’s a good idea to consider other treatments along with medication. 

Surgery

Back surgery is intense, invasive, and risky, but for some people, it’s the best and only option. Severe spinal cord injuries and disc herniations may require immediate surgery to correct the problem. After surgery, you’ll likely be instructed to perform back exercises to improve your mobility. 

Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine, also known as stem cell therapy, for back pain may offer an innovative and cutting-edge option. By utilizing human-derived stem cells to repair and renew damaged tissues throughout your body, these “blank” cells can form into almost any type of specialized cell, making them a potential effective modality to help manage and heal chronic back pain. 

Evaluating Your Options 

It may take a few different interventions before you experience back pain relief. What’s important is that you don’t give up. With the proper treatment, you can experience mild to intense relief and continue on with your life. Medicine is always improving, and you have more options than ever before.