Back Pain

Overview

Almost everyone experiences back pain at some point of time in their life. It is one of the most common reasons for people to visit doctors. The rear portion of the human body is absolutely critical because it plays a part in almost every movement your body makes. So, when you suffer from back pain, even simple movements can be extremely painful and can hinder your mobility. More often than not, back pain can be treated without the help of the physician - within weeks of the injury - by using different methods of healing that may include medication and physiotherapy. Surgery should be the last resort, and is suggested rarely for treating common forms of back pain.

One cause of back pain may include a herniated disk, which happens when a disk presses upon a nerve. There are also more severe symptoms of back pain, including cancer in the spinal cord or even an infection in the spine. Often times, people who suffer from back pain have had some sort of damage done to the bones, muscles, or even ligaments due to rigorous activity or extraneous exercise.

Since the human back bears most of the weight of the body, strained muscles and prolonged pressure on the joints and ligaments often cause pain in this part of the body. In a few cases, muscle spasms can also contribute to back pain. Usually, back pain occurs due to stress, bone fracture, kidney stones, and many other reasons. Due to this multiplicity of reasons, it is quite difficult to narrow down to one real cause when a person suffers from back pain.

Symptoms of severe back pain may include intense pain in the back, that spreads down the legs, numbness or tingling sensation in arms or legs, and pain in other parts of the body - the abdomen or the bladder. Stress and pressure on the joints could indicate the presence of back pain. If you experience any of these symptoms, immediately get yourself thoroughly examined by your doctor.

Treatment

The therapy for back pain can be effectively carried out at home, coupled with appropriate rest and self-treatment. Pain relievers or hot and cold therapy are often the only things that are required to lessen pain. Long periods of rest may actually be more harmful than good. If home treatments do not help within a few days, a doctor may be able to prescribe stronger medication or suggest alternative ways for treating the pain. The use of physiotherapy or exercise can reduce pain. Anti-inflammatory medications or cortisone shots prescribed by the doctor can also reduce pain and muscle inflammation.

In addition to healing back pain, regular exercises and muscle building activities can help prevent this health condition. Building muscle strength can reduce a part of the stress that is borne by the back muscles and the joints. Above all, maintaining a healthy body weight can take some of the strain off the back, and reduce aches and pains from the upper body.