Lower back pain is a widespread health issue. It can occur for a variety of reasons from muscle overuse to a serious underlying condition. Sometimes, back pain may last for several days and heal on its own. But if back pain lasts over 2 weeks, it is important to visit a spine doctor to find out the root cause. Some causes of long-lasting back pain can be quite serious and require prompt medical treatment.
Below are 8 common causes of lower back pain you should know about.
The strain of the lower back muscles is probably the most common cause of lower back pain. This issue is usually short-term and can heal on its own. Lower back muscle strain can cause symptoms like dull pain in the lower back, intense pain with movement, stiffness, tenderness, and inflammation. Resting your back is usually enough to let the strained muscle heal. Complete healing takes on average 4 to 6 weeks.
A ligament sprain is another common cause of lower back pain. It occurs when the ligaments in your lower back are torn from their attachments. In most cases, a ligament sprain is a result of a sudden injury. But gradual overuse can also lead to a ligament sprain. This condition causes symptoms like lower back pain that radiates in the buttocks, inability to maintain normal posture, stiffness, and muscle spasms.
Lumbar degenerative disc disease is a condition that is commonly observed in people over the age of 50. It occurs because of age-related wear and tears on a spinal disc. But you may develop this condition earlier in life if you regularly overuse your vertebrae(lifting heavy weights). When the disk degenerates, it cannot absorb all shock from activities like walking and jumping. This can cause sharp pain in your lower back, stiffness, and a limited range of motion.
A herniated disc is a condition that can cause lumbar back pain. The discs within your spine may rupture because of overuse. When the nucleus from the inside of the disc is pushed out of the annulus in the spinal canal, it can press nearby nerves. The symptoms of the lumbar herniated disc include lower back pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling that radiates down to your legs.
Facet joints are joints that connect vertebrae in your spine with each other. Facet joints ensure the range of motion of your spine while keeping it stable. The facet joint in your lumbar spine may become damaged because of aging processes of injury. It can produce symptoms like low back pain, buttock pain, stiffness, inflammation, and difficulty walking in an upright position.
Spinal stenosis is the narrowing of the spaces within the spine. When this space narrows, it causes pressure on the spinal cord and nerves in your lower back. This can produce a lot of lumbar discomforts. Lumbar spinal stenosis can cause symptoms like numbness or tingle in a foot or leg, leg weakness, and back pain that radiates down to your legs.
Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis can affect your lower back and cause pain. Osteoarthritis results from the degeneration of the joints in your spine. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that makes your immune system attack healthy joint tissues within the body. Both these conditions are serious and can lead to disability when untreated. They can cause symptoms like back pain, inflammation, limited range of motion, and stiffness.
A lumbar compression fracture is a serious injury that requires medical attention. It can result from untreated osteoarthritis of lumbar spine injury. A compression fracture occurs when the bony block or vertebral body in the spine collapses. This can produce symptoms like severe pain, deformity, loss of height, and difficulty walking.
