What are the common causes of back pains? Back pain can be caused by a number of factors, from injuries to the effects of ageing.
Charles Ehirim
Back pain is a problem facing the workforce in the world today. Eight out of every ten people will have a problem with back pain at sometime during their lifetime. Back pain is a universal epidemic. Back pain can be unbearably excruciating, debilitating and disabling. Good number of people have had their emotional well-being impacted by the agonizing pain in the back, Some victims would wish to commit suicide than to continue the experience of the agony of disturbing back pain. Persistent back pain is very discomforting and distracting. Despite the magnitude of back pain epidemic in the face of present medical practice, millions of victims globally, continue to suffer month after month, year after year. To them there seem to be no hope at sight medically. Countless victims of back pain have become despondent and decided to seek relief from their distress by consulting unorthodox medical practitioners who would prescribe some unwholesome preparations to drink and to rub on their backs. Some have had incisions or cuts done on their backs and perhaps the affected leg, Haba! Has medical science failed in tackling the problem of common back pain? This raises the question of whether common back pain really is a medical problem. These and other more questions would be answered in the subsequent editions.
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In a two day physiotherapy intervention carried out by a partnership of Back Pain Care Foundation and Amuwo Odofin local Government Area, on the 2nd & 3rd November, 2018, at Omega physiotherapy and Back pain Care centre, 24 Road by 2nd Avenue, Festac town, showcased the various forms of back pain victims are really going through. The venue for the exercise was jam packed . interestingly, at the end of the two day intervention, participants went home with unexpected testimonies. The back pain care foundation is grateful to the Amuwo Odofin chairman Mr … who excitedly showed interest for the programme because he took it as a Social Responsible for his constituency.
Common back pain is more likely to occur between the ages of 30-50yrs, the most productive period of most peoples’ lives. The back pain continues and causes problems indefinitely if not checkmated. Low back pain is a common health problem for all; no matter what their job. This low back aspect of the spine provides us with both strength and mobility. The mobility allows movements such as turning and bending. And the strength allows us to stand, walk and lift. So proper functioning of the low back is needed for almost all activities of our daily living. Any injury to the lower back could be very distracting and disabling now or later, to any individual.
What are the common causes of back pains? Back pain can be caused by a number of factors, from injuries to the effects of ageing.
Sprain and strain are the most common Causes. A strain occurs when a muscle or group of muscles is over stretched and possibly torn by violent or sudden movement. Back pain could also be due to sprain of ligament. Ligament is a long band of fibrous tissues connecting together the bones at the joints. Sprain is the wrenching or tearing of the ligament in the tissues connected with a joint. This might occur when a person is lifting heavy weight incorrectly or wrongly positioned while participating in sports. It could also occur if one suddenly misses his step or hold while attempting to climb a staircase or enter a bus. Back pain caused by strain is usually sharp at the site of injury.
Pelvic infection: (PID) The next cause that has to be looked into is constipation and pelvic infection. Most of the complaints by women are associated with back ache always. Leucorrhoea invariably indicate the pelvic infections
Degeneration:
The normal effects of ageing that result in bones decreasing in amount and becoming brittle and muscle and ligament decreasing in strength and elasticity, can not be avoided. Wear & tear and inherited factors will cause degenerative changes in the disc, and result in degenerative disc disease and arthritic changes in the small joints of the spine.
Disc prolapsed:
The disc is composed of soft centre, which in children and young adult is jelly-like with ageing normally, the disc becomes tougher. During middle age, fissures or cracks may occur in the disc. These may be the source of back pain if the crack extends out of the disc. Materials from the disc may push out or rupture. This is often referred to as a herniated or ‘slipped disc’. It may cause pain on movement. If the protruded disc presses a nerve it may Cause weakness of a muscle usually in one leg and numbness and tingling sensation. It is a problem that is marked by some sharp pain in the back.
Sciatica:
Practitioners diagnose this sciatica or lumbosacral as a syndrome by which the pain spreads down to one leg from the buttocks on one side. The pain originated in the lower back where the ‘electric cable’, the sciatic nerve is pinched as it leaves the spine and this causes pain to be felt in the buttocks behind the thigh, calf muscles and all the way down the leg .
Ankylosing spondylitis: This usually presents with low back pain. Back pain is generally very common. A history of morning Stiffness or pain, stiffness at night is typical. The pain may radiate down to the back of the thigh from the lower back to the hip, thigh, but not beyond the knees which sometime result in a mistaken diagnosis of sciatic. It is often common among young men and between the ages of 20-40 years this is apart from many other symptoms. It is important that the diagnosis is made at an earlier stage to allow treatment so as to prevent loss of mobility of the spine.
Diagnoses: Most cases of low back pain are not severe and respond to simple physiotherapy treatment. We can accurately diagnose and effectively treat most types of low back pain. For many episodes of low back pain, no expensive test are needed for initial assessment and treatment.
Plain x-rays will show arthritis and bone diseases but will not show soft tissue such as the lumbar disc or nerves. For conditions or injuries that involve these soft tissues, Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), may be needed .Occasionally Bone Scan will be needed to assess bone activity and electrical test. Electromyography (EMG) may be needed to determine if the spine condition has caused nerve damage.
Prevention: The normal effect of ageing that result in decreased bone mass and decreased strength and elasticity of muscle and ligament cannot be avoided. However the effects can be slowed or minimized by participating in structured physiotherapy exercise programme which will help build muscle strength and flexibility at the same time Support and align the body properly. Using the proper body mechanics in lifting and carrying objects and maintaining proper body weight will be beneficial to the back. Being overweight puts undue strain on your back muscles and invariably on the spine. Avoid smoking. Maintain proper posture when standing and sitting. Don’t slouch.
What is the best treatment option? Mostly low back pain, whether acute or chronic can always be treated without surgery. Physiotherapy performed skillfully and thoughtfully is a preferred option for the victims.