Are You Sick?

Is this your symptom?

• Pain or discomfort in the upper, mid or lower back
• Minor muscle strain from overuse and back injury are included

Causes of Back Pain

• Strained Back Muscles. New backaches are mostly from strained back muscles (muscle overuse). The pain is mostly in the lower back and near the center. There are 200 muscles in the back that allow us to stand upright.
• Work Triggers. Carrying something too heavy or lifting from an awkward position can cause back pain. Bending too far backward or sideways can cause back pain. Digging in the garden for too long causes overuse of back muscles.
• Poor posture can be the problem. Examples are sitting too long in one position, such as at a laptop or desk.
• Exercise and Sports. New exercises or changes in an exercise routine can cause back pain. This is also called muscle overuse. Training for sports event, such as gymnastics or dance, may overuse certain muscles and joints.
• Back Packs. Heavy backpacks or laptop bags worn over one shoulder have become a common cause. They also can cause shoulder and neck pains.
• Kidney Infection (serious). Pain is on one side in the middle of the back. Other symptoms are fever and pain when passing urine.
• Kidney Stone (serious). Pain is on one side of the mid-back and shoots into the lower belly. The pain is extremely severe. The urine has blood in it.
• Sciatic Nerve Pain (serious). Sciatica is pain caused by a pinched nerve in the lower back. Sciatica gives a burning pain in one buttock. The pain shoots into the back of the leg on that side. The most intense pain can be in the lower leg and foot. Leg weakness, numbness or tingling can also occur. A ruptured disk causes the pressure on the nerve. Sciatica is common in adults.
• Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes the spine to get very stiff from the neck down to the bottom of the spine. It starts in people in their late teens and 20’s.
• Arthritis is the pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint. There are many types of arthritis. It can affect the spine as well as limb joints.
• Spondylosis. The bones, discs and ligaments in the spine can weaken as we age. The discs in the spine get thinner and the spaces between the vertebrae get narrower. Little pieces of bone may form at the edges of the bones that make up the spine. This can cause pain for some people.
• Spinal stenosis (serious). Sometimes back pain is linked with pain in the legs which starts after you start walking for a few minutes. It tends to get better quickly when you sit down. This is known as spinal stenosis and is due to the bony channel your spinal cord sits in being too narrow. You can be born with this or it can develop over time.
• Osteoporosis is thinning of the bones. Most people get this to some degree as they get older. It is more common in people who have been on long-term steroids or are immobile. The bones of the spine can collapse causing pain and the spine to become curved. The person may not be able to stand up straight.
• Infection (serious). Infection in the bone (osteomyelitis) can cause severe pain and may present with fever.
• Tumors (serious). Tumors can start in the spine or can spread from a tumor somewhere else in the body.

Symptoms of Back Pain

• Strained back muscles cause most of these symptoms:
• The pain is in the middle or lower back
• The pain is made worse by bending
• The muscles near the spine are tender to the touch
• The muscles may be tight (in spasm)

Pain Scale

• Mild: You feel some pain, but it doesn't keep you from any normal activities. Work, chores and sleep are not changed.
• Moderate: The pain keeps you from doing some normal activities. It may wake you up from sleep.
• Severe: The pain is very bad. It keeps you from doing all normal activities.