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Millions of people every day are suffering from different types and degrees of back pain. The cause is not always easy for physicians to diagnose. The spine is the central hub for a person?s movement and nerve activity. A pinched nerve in the middle of your back can adversely and directly affect the entire lower half of your body. Discovering the source of your back pain is crucial. Locating the needle in the haystack, so to speak, is central to coming up with an effective course of therapy for your back pain. There are a lot of potential reasons for a back ache: a pulled muscle because of pushing yourself too hard, a herniated or otherwise injured disc, arthritis, or perhaps an underlying medical condition. These are often quite easy to handle, but in some situations a surgical procedure and continuing therapy could be called for if the condition is more severe. Common Causes The garden variety case of back pain is usually due to a lumbar muscle strain - this can be caused by simply overdoing it with sports or exercise, lifting heavy weights improperly and the like. This will generally sideline you for a few days, but your back will quickly heal itself. Just use an analgesic, get some rest and use a heating pad or ice pack. Another culprit in back pain cause is a herniated disc. Spinal discs are like pillows that sit between the vertebrae; they are your back?s shock absorbers. Though very elastic and soft during the younger years, studies have shown that discs become more rigid as a person ages. You may have the heart and spirit of someone half your age, but your back knows the truth. Your discs are more fragile past forty years of age, and very susceptible to injury. Osteoporosis is a cause of many cases of back pain in older people, especially women, who experience greater calcium loss with age. Bones in people with osteoporosis become brittle and can break easily. This condition is distinct from arthritis, a condition in which the cartilage which cushions your joints becomes worn down. In osteoporosis, it is the bones themselves which lose strength. A number of physicians equate back pain with an iceberg - you can see the tip, but don't know the extent of what lies underneath. To head off more damage after you feel some back pain, visit your physician to get some x-rays and tests. Once you figure out the source of your back pain, a course of treatment can be started promptly.
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Kim Archer knows what it's like to suffer from chronic back pain. She is a regular contributor to Cure Your Back Pain, a great information source on causes and treatments of back pain.
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