What Causes Lower Back Pain – And What Can You Do About It?

Nearly 80% of people have back pain, including lower back pain, at some point or another during their life. Since this is a problem which affects nearly everyone, it is important to know what the causes of lower back pain are. You also need to know how to control these factors to keep lower back pain to a minimum.

Causes of Lower Back Pain

As we age, we lose a lot of our body’s natural muscle tone and elasticity. We also tend to lose bone strength as we age. Our spinal discs lose flexibility due to the loss of fluid. This means that they do a less effective job of protecting the vertebrae. Simply growing older can be a cause of lower back pain.

A strain, sprain or spasm in your muscles or ligaments can result in the rupture of a spinal disc. This leads to increased pressure on your spinal cord nerves. Your back will let you know about this through neural signs, more commonly known as pain. So what causes your sprains, strains and spasms? Frequently, this type of injury is caused by attempting to lift heavy objects or overstretching the muscles.

Lower back pain can also be caused by diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. Other causes include disc or joint irritation, viral infections, or spinal abnormalities.

Lower back pain can also be caused by various physical conditions. This includes smoking, being overweight, pregnancy, stress, bad posture and being in poor shape. Hip pain and lower back pain sometimes come as a distressing package deal. Scar tissue from previous injuries can also be a cause of lower back pain – this scar tissue buildup can even cause other, more serious injuries.

When to Worry About Lower Back Pain

You should take your lower back pain seriously if it comes along with other symptoms. These might include a fever, a painful cough, loss of bladder or bowel control and muscular weakness, especially in the legs. If your lower back pain is accompanied by these symptoms, contact your physician immediately. They may indicate a pinched nerve or other underlying problem. If you are diabetic, lower back pain may indicate neuropathy.

Avoiding Lower Back Pain

By taking good care of your back in daily life, most lower back pain can be avoided. Poor posture is often the root cause of lower back pain that never quite goes away. You can work on correcting this. Stand straight, remember to lift with your legs rather than with your back, and do exercises to build lower back strength. Make sure to follow proper ergonomic procedures during your workday. This will greatly impact your ability to prevent lower back pain.