A backache may seem like it’s nothing serious. It can be painful due to strenuous activities that can impact the muscles. On the other hand, it can also come from accidents that cause a slew of problems. If you feel that there is something odd in the pain you feel, it would be wise to see a doctor for a check-up. You can also call your doctor for advice if you can try to relieve pain relief through regenerative medicine.
When Is The Right Time To See A Doctor?
A backache that doesn’t subside, but intensifies as the time goes by and eventually becomes worse, is a sure sign that you should see a medical practitioner. What causes backaches can vary from light to severe as they can range from temporary to severe symptoms of an underlying disease. Here are some signs you should look for, which can mean that the back pain you’re experiencing should be taken seriously:
1. Tension Caused By Posture and Movement
The human body is made up of both muscles and bones. The bones can move because of joints and muscles make up the support system of the body’s framework. The movements, as well as body posture, can influence back pain. Strenuous activities that put pressure in the joints also cause lousy posture. This is a result of the weakening of muscles and is one of the major causes of back pain. These are the everyday tasks or activities that can cause tension in your back:
- Sitting or standing for a long time at home or at work.
- Bending your neck forward frequently that it affects the lumbar area while texting, using the computer, reading, and more.
- Lying or sleeping on your belly.
- Pushing, pulling, or carrying heavy objects.
- Hunching over long periods while gardening or while doing some tasks.
- Suddenly sneezing or pressure brought by coughing.
- Not properly stretching during athletic training or before a workout.
Effect: Too much gravity is applied on the neck, lumbar area, ligaments, and discs causes mild to moderate pain on both the upper and lower back. Sometimes, the lower spine also loses its curve. The pressure weighs heavily on the spine and may cause chronic pain that can span for years if not treated. Also, overusing muscles can cause backaches. At this stage, it’s essential to see your doctor avoid any further complications.
2. Pain Caused By Injuries
Accidents happen, such as falling from a specific height, vehicular crashes, or it can be intentional, such as physical assault. Physical injuries sustained from such forces can be devastating and often result in a lifetime of challenging pain and disability. Some can be treated while others remain chronic. Here are some examples of injuries that can induce pain and discomfort:
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Trauma
Trauma from injuries can cause pain, as well. For instance, a sudden fall from a specific height can cause severe trauma if you land on your back. It can range from a light muscular tear or even as bad as a spinal fracture. The trauma may extend to the muscular tissues and may not cause any damage to the spine. It may grow worse with as time goes by, however. If you feel pain after you had an injury, it’s best to schedule a visit to your doctor.
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Spinal Misalignment
The spine follows a slight S curvature. A forceful blow to the back can affect the natural alignment of the spine, and it can sustain tears on the ligaments. Spinal damage may not only cause a lifetime of pain but may affect the person’s ability to move or walk.
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Nerve Damage
Nerve damages can cause severe pain along the spinal column and can affect the chest and the ribs as well. Surgeries that utilizes the combination of genetic and chemical means may successfully regenerate these nerves. In severe cases involving high-speed velocity vehicular crashes, the driver and the passengers may not recover, as it can cause permanent disability.
3. Deep Somatic Pain
This happens when pain receptors are activated in ligaments, muscles, bone joints, and connective tissues by stimuli like swelling, temperature, force, and vibrations. Deep somatic pain is usually described as cramping, gnawing, aching, sharp pain that is localized in a specific area. Examples include sprains and broken bones.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can also cause deep somatic pain when not treated, and this might transform into severe conditions when you ignore it. The backache you feel along other symptoms may signify the following conditions:
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Lumbar Disc Degeneration
This occurs when the body has insufficient Vitamin D and can be felt at the lower back. The pain is caused by wear and tear of the spinal disc. Those who do not take Vitamin D supplements that aids in bone healing are likely to have deteriorating discs as they age.
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Osteoporosis
The lack of calcium in our body can cause brittleness and the likeliness of getting fractures. Calcium makes up the structure of the bones, and our body needs enough supply for bone health, especially when we are over the age of 35. Not only osteoporosis causes pain, but it can also disfigure our body due to weak bones that curve over time and may result in hunching.
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Kidney Stones
You may have kidney stones if you feel extreme pain at your lower back just under your ribcage. Kidney stones are caused by too much salt intake and not drinking enough water to wash it out. The kidney fails to filter urine and causes pain that radiates on your back. It indicates that you’re experiencing a kidney infection.
4. Diseases
Back pain is often a symptom of a disease caused by varying factors such as illnesses that developed into more severe conditions. Here are some of the diseases that can cause back pain:
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Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
This means that in the aorta, there is a budge or swelling. It is the main blood vessel that goes from the chest to the abdomen. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm is dangerous when it’s not detected early on as this can get bigger and rupture, causing life-threatening conditions.
If you feel any discomfort in your chest as well as in your abdominal area, you need to have it checked with a physician who can help to assess if you need to go to a heart specialist.
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Cauda Equina Syndrome
This is a group of symptoms that occurs when some of the nerves are squeezed or damaged in the cauda equina. Cauda equina are nerves that spread out at the bottom of the spinal cord.
Since the back and spine is consist of spinal cord, nerves, vertebrae, discs, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Cauda Equina can occur due to the changes in those parts and can cause severe back pain. Here are what causes Cauda Equina Syndrome:
- Herniated Disc: Ruptured disc can put pressure and irritates the nerves
- Infections and Inflammation: Various infections or inflammation can affect the nerves in cauda equina.
- Tumors: These can form in the spine due to cancer.
- Spinal Stenosis: This happens when vertebrae form bone spurs, which are bumps that can put pressure and squeezes the nerves in cauda equina.
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Shingles
This is an infection that affects the spinal nerve, and it causes the skin to develop painful blisters on the affected part. This can cause lower back pain in the lumbar spine before an outbreak. Shingles (Zoster) is caused by the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), which is a kind of herpes that also causes chickenpox (Varicella) but significantly differs from orally transmitted herpes and the sexually transmitted type of herpes which is HSV-1 (cold sores) and HSV-2 (genital herpes).
What Can Make A Backache Worse
There are a lot of factors that can make a backache worse, and one of the factors is a sedentary lifestyle; it’s when you mostly sit down for a long time. This can put pressure on the spine and pelvis. Are you sitting in your office most of the time? You could be one of the many workers that are suffering from back pain from stress and overworking. You can relieve your chronic back pain by integrating exercise and other healthy habits and other healthy habits into your lifestyle.
If you smoke, now would be a good time to stop. Smoking weakens the body’s resistance, and this can induce inflammation. Which, as mentioned earlier, can cause back pain as well as other health problems related to smoking. Also, not enough support for your back when you sleep can cause severe backache, and it can make it worse. Some mattresses don’t fit with your body and induce stress on your back.
Lastly, lifting heavy things improperly may contribute to the pain you feel due to the pressure and stress it causes in the lower back, especially if you tend to bend over instead of just bending your knees to lift. Bending the knees will absorb the shock lifting inflicts in the lower back. Therefore, it’s best to bend the knees than hunching.
Conclusion
Backache can be a nuisance, and it can hinder someone from doing their regular routines or any regular movement. Too much and not enough exercise can also cause backache. Most of the time, it’s already a symptom of an underlying sickness.
If you feel back pain for more than six weeks or if you’re unable to do your regular routines, it’s best to visit your doctor to see if you have any other underlying issues. Ignoring signs, even during pain, can cost you a lifetime of regrets.
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