Back Pain Basics

Back pain, which is the prime reason of absence from work in the United Kingdom, affects more than 8 out of 10 people at some stage of their lives. This leads to around 6-7 million people visiting their general practitioner on an annual basis there.

The anatomy of Back Pain
Back pain most commonly strikes when one is between 35 to 55 years. It can possibly arise due to a gradual pain occurring as a result of occupational hazards. Even women are highly prone to back aches after their post-menopause period, owing to osteoporosis.

Although the causes vary from person to person, yet the symptoms are all alike; also they easily respond to most of the over the counter medication followed by some minimal regular exercise and brisk walks.

However, if all this doesn’t help, you should not delay or hesitate in seeking a doctor’s assistance.

What exactly is Back Pain
Your back pain can hit you anywhere between your skull and your hips. It can be trigger from any of these – your nerves, your bone joints, your spinal cord or similar such spinal cord supporting structures.

This can either happen suddenly or over a period of time. One plus point to back aches is that mostly they heal themselves over a period of time, and hence they do not demand urgent medical attention. There are times, however, as an exception where they signal something really serious happening inside.

The most common causes
The causes range from poor posture to the manner in which one’s back is used. A muscle pull or perhaps muscle strains are the most common causes. Even past injuries like a bone fracture or a sprain, muscular spasms, deformities happening in the spine and in rare cases, tumours and infections can all trigger back pain.

Stress, which triggers muscle spasms, is also a common cause of back aches.

Symptoms of backache

The upper back, middle or lower back, are all susceptible to back pains. Depending upon the duration, back aches can be classified as acute or chronic. An acute backache commonly does not last for more than two to four months, and on the other hand, a chronic backache lasts fairly long and shows a gradual increase in the intensity with time.

There is a wide range of symptoms including but not restricted to acute piercing or a stabbing and throbbing pain. It also sometimes leads to weakness, numbness and even tingling sensations, when this pain is triggered by irritation of nervous roots.

Treatment

If ever you feel the need to visit the doctor for your backache, you would be required to mention the past history of your backache, and all conditions and scenarios which lead to the pain in the history. You might also be asked to get some X-rays or tests conducted or further diagnosis.

Depending upon the nature and intensity of your ache, you can be advised either bed-rest, or application of ice-packs. Over the counter drugs like aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs are often useful to curb the pain.

Some additional therapies and exercises to strengthen your muscle would also act as a catalyst in curing your backache. One useful technique for such an illness is physiotherapy. You can alternatively go in for acupuncture, or osteopathy or even chiropractics. Very rarely, in the worst scenario, a patient is advised to go in for surgery.