Back pain can strike anyone from office workers to professional athletes. It’s often more than simply a minor annoyance – it can disrupt a person’s daily life and signal underlying issues.
Diagnosing the type of back pain you are experiencing is essential for helping you to explore the right treatments. In this post, we’ll explore a few different types of back pain, who to recognize symptoms and how to seek relief for them.
Muscle strains
Muscle strains are among the most frequent back pain diagnoses. They occur when muscles and tendons in the back get stretched or torn, leading to sharp pain, stiffness and limited mobility. Such injuries are commonly caused by poor posture, overexertion or sudden twisting movements. Examples of causes include sitting at a desk that’s too low or lifting a heavy object with improper form. Fortunately, these types of injuries can be treated by exploring solutions like physical therapy and the RICE method (rest, ice, compression and elevation). Most strains heal within weeks, but ignoring them could lead to chronic issues.
Sciatica
Sciatica is when the sciatic nerve (which runs from the lower back down the legs) becomes irritated or compressed – often as a result of a herniated disc or bone spur. This causes sharp pains to shoot down the legs from the back. Numbness and tingling can also be a symptom. It’s prevalent in adults over 40 and can be triggered by heavy lifting or prolonged sitting. When looking into how to treat sciatica, it’s often worth consulting a doctor or a physical therapist. Various medicines, exercises, stretches, injections and even surgery can be used to relieve sciatica pain.
Spinal stenosis
Spinal stenosis is a condition that causes narrowing of a spinal canal, which puts pressure on the nerves. This leads to cramping, pain and weakness in the legs. It is commonly diagnosed in older adults and is often simply a result of wear and tear. CT scans and MRI scans can confirm whether you have this condition. There are various treatments that you can then look into including physical therapy and surgery.
Whiplash
Whiplash is commonly diagnosed after a car accident, but can occur following any sudden impact that causes the neck and upper back to jerk forward. This causes muscles and tendons to become stretched and torn. While it tends to mostly result in neck pain, it can affect the entire back. It’s important that you see a doctor to assess the damage. Physiotherapy may be recommended for serious cases and neck collars may need to be worn to restrict movement so that muscles can heal.
Kidney stones
Kidney stones cause pain in the lower back that can sometimes be misdiagnosed as a muscular issue at first. These mineral deposits in the kidneys cause an intense fluctuating pain as they move through the urinary tract. This can sometimes be accompanied by nausea, blood in urine or a fever. Treatment typically involves taking pain relief medication and drinking increased fluids to pass the stone. Procedures like lithotripsy may be available for larger stones.
