Low Back Pain - When You Should See A Physician
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011Of all the health conditions individuals endure, low back pain is among the most common. But there are many things that cause low back pain. To many peoples’ surprise, low back pain is not always caused by lifting something too heavy or some sort of trauma. Therefore, let’s take a look at some of the causitive factors of low back pain.
1. Lumbar Muscle Strain
One of the most common causes of low back pain is a straining of the lumbar muscles. Most people can’t even remember what they did to cause the strain. Not picking up objects properly, sitting stationary for an prolonged time period, or even recreational sports can all strain the muscles of your lower back.
2. Pinched Nerve
In between each of your vertebrae, nerves branch off of your spinal cord and exit into your body. If one or more of your vertebra gets twisted and out of place (i.e. subluxated), this could “pinch” one of your spinal nerves. Pain could then result at the location of the nerve impingement or the pain could follow the path of the nerve and radiate out into your body.
3. Arthritis Of The Lumbar Spine
Even though arthritis is most commonly associated with joints of the finger, knees and shoulders, the spine has numerous articulating joints that are also susceptible to arthritis. Arthritis may be the result of a past trauma or injury, or it might be simply due to the normal process of aging.
4. Bulging Disc
Separating each of your vertebrae are discs. Within the center of each disc is a gel-like substance that functions somewhat as a shock absorber. Due to injury or trauma to the spine, discs can become damaged. The gel-like substance can create a herniation of the disc which resembles a bulge on a damaged inner tube of a tire. The bulging disc can then impinge upon the adjacent spinal nerve. In severe instances, a bulging disc could rupture.
Low Back Pain Diagnosis
The good news is that most lower back pain goes away on it’s own. But if your back pain persists or gets worse after several days, it is recommended that you see a physician.
A routine medical exam with basic orthopedic tests can help to determine the actual problem. X-rays are also part of the standard diagnosis protocol. Depending on the findings of the initial exam and tests, an MRI might be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment Of Low Back Pain
Depending on the severity of the pain, medication, muscle relaxers or a local injection initially might be needed to make the pain manageable. However, this pain relief is usually only temporary and the pain will recur unless the underlying cause of the problem is addressed.
A conservative treatment approach like physical therapy and/or chiropractic adjustments will usually correct most low back pain problems. In severe cases where the body doesn’t respond and the pain continues, surgery might be needed to repair the affected area.
When You Should Consult A Physician
As stated above, low back pain often resolves itself without any medical intervention. But if your back pain persists for more than a couple of days or keeps you up at night, it is strongly recommended that you see a physician for a in depth evaluation to identify the problem, then get suitable treatment to correct the problem.
About the author: Dr. Fabrizio Di Noto is a primary care doctor that practices in Michigan. If you are suffering from low back pain and need pain relief for low back pain please call his office to schedule an appointment or visit his website at http://www.drfabriziodinoto.com.