LOW BACK PAIN? YOU ARE NOT ALONE
If you have had lower back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is one of the most common reasons people see a doctor.
Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain. It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Getting too little exercise followed by a strenuous workout also can cause back pain.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF BACK PAIN:
- Acute, or short-term back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks. Most low back pain is acute. It tends to resolve on its own within a few days with self-care and there is no residual loss of function. In some cases a few months are required for the symptoms to disappear.
- Chronic back pain is defined as pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year. Even if pain persists, it does not always mean there is a medically serious underlying cause or one that can be easily identified and treated. In some cases, treatment successfully relieves chronic low back pain, but in other cases pain continues despite medical and surgical treatment.
WHAT STRUCTURES MAKE UP THE BACK?
The lower back—where most back pain occurs—includes the five vertebrae (referred to as L1-L5) in the lumbar region, which supports much of the weight of the upper body. The spaces between the vertebrae are maintained by round, rubbery pads called intervertebral discs that act like shock absorbers throughout the spinal column to cushion the bones as the body moves. Bands of tissue known as ligaments hold the vertebrae in place, and tendons attach the muscles to the spinal column. Thirty-one pairs of nerves are rooted to the spinal cord and they control body movements and transmit signals from the body to the brain.
Other regions of vertebrates are cervical (in the neck), thoracic (upper back), and sacral and coccygeal (below the lumbar area) segments.
WHAT CAN CAUSE LOWER BACK PAIN?
Most acute low back pain is mechanical in nature, meaning that there is a disruption in the way the components of the back (the spine, muscle, intervertebral discs, and nerves) fit together and move. Some examples of mechanical causes of low back pain include:

WHAT ARE THE RISK FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING LOW BACK PAIN?
Anyone can have back pain. Factors that can increase the risk for low back pain include:

HOW IS LOW BACK PAIN DIAGNOSED?
A complete medical history and physical exam can usually identify any serious conditions that may be causing the pain. Neurologic tests can help determine the cause of pain and appropriate treatment. Imaging tests are not needed in most cases but may be ordered to rule out specific causes of pain, including tumors and spinal stenosis. Tests include:

HOW IS BACK PAIN TREATED?

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KEEPING ONES BACK HEALTHY

HOW CAN AVALA HELP YOU?
Our team of minimally invasive spine surgeons can review and diagnose your low back pain to help find a solution for you to live a happy and healthier live.
“‘Back Pain Fact Sheet.’” NINDS, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, March 2020, www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact-sheets/low-back-pain-fact-sheet