Back Pain Which Should Not To Be Ignored
In simple words, low back pain can be defined as pain experienced in the bottom region of spine (between lower margins of ribs and the gluteal folds). It may remain localised to back or radiate to the legs.
Back pain is a common problem affecting
8 out of 10 people at some point in their life. It can affect people of all
ages and is a common reason for seeking medical assistance. Back pain can arise due to many reasons and accounts
for significant suffering & financial loss worldwide.
Globally low back pain
(LBP) is one of the leading causes of disability. LBP is an important cause of
limitation of activities, absence from work with resultant economic
implications. In industrialised countries lifetime prevalence of non-specific
low back pain is estimated at 60–70%.Despite the high incidence and intensive
research into this area, pain generators are not easy to identify and the
diagnosis Nonspecific
Low Back Pain is used commonly. This is different from
situations where a specific cause such as fracture, infection, neoplasm etc.
responsible for pain generation can be identified.
Potential
Sources & Causes
Back pain can originate
from numerous sources and some of the common causes include
·
Disc herniation (Slipped Disk), degenerative disc disease
·
Facet and Sacroiliac Joints
·
Muscle and ligament sprains/injuries
·
Narrowing of spinal canal- Spinal Stenosis
·
Spondylolisthesis
·
Fractures, trauma
·
Autoimmune diseases
·
Infections
·
Cancer
·
Persistent
or worsening back pain. Back pain often goes away in a few days or weeks but if
it is persisting or progressively increasing then its reason to seek medical
attention.
·
Back
pain associated with progressive numbness, tingling, or weakness. This could be a symptom
of pinched nerve, slipper disc or narrowing of the space in the spine (slipped
disc) and requires medical attention
·
Inability
to control your bowels or urination (incontinence) Spinal nerve compression
can have an impact on one’s ability to control bladder and bowel function,
leaving to incontinence. This is a severe symptom and requires immediate
medical attention.
·
Back
pain starting after an accident. If your back pain began after a fall,
accident or an injury
·
Back
pain that is worse at night
·
Back
pain associated with unexplained weight loss. .
·
Back
pain with Fever. This could
be a sign of infection or ongoing inflammation
·
Back
pain in extremes of ages (too young or too old patients) or in high risk
individuals such as those
with severe osteoporosis or prolonged use of steroids or drug abuse history
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