AN INTRODUCTION TO LOWER BACK MUSCLE PAIN 

INTRODUCTION

Many musculoskeletal are often easily diagnosed and successfully treated, unfortunately lower back muscle pain is not one of them. The cause can sometimes be elusive, therefore the diagnosis can be incorrect and then the wrong treatments ensues.

 

PAIN AND WHAT IT TELLS YOU

“Pain is a signal something is wrong.”

It the lower back muscle pain is short lasting and mild it may be nothing to worry about, on the flip side if it severe and lasts for a few days up to a week or more, you body is most likely trying to tell you something. Not listening to your body’s signals can compound problems, extending the duration of lower back muscle pain, often for unnecessary periods.

General guides as to when to refer to a doctor are:

If the pain is severe

If there is swelling

If you hear a cracking or snapping at the time of the injury

If you cannot perform your normal day to day duties

If there is nausea, dizziness, blurred vision, paralysis, weakness or disturbed function following an accident or injury.

If the pain continues beyond 7-10 days.1

 

WHAT IS LOWER BACK MUSCLE PAIN

Lower back muscle pain affects the back muscles in the lower part of the back. It can be described as:

· Acute if it is less than 6 weeks

· Sub-acute if it 6-12 weeks

· Chronic if it is more than 12 weeks

Many people suffer from lower back muscle pain, costing millions in lost work as well as medical and insurance resources. Lower back muscle pain is one of the most common back complaints, affecting four out of five people at some point in their lives. Although most lower back muscle pain will sort itself out within a few days to a few weeks.

 

 LOWER BACK MUSCLE PAIN – AMERICAN STATISTICS

·      80% of society will suffer back pain of some type

Lower Back Muscle Pain

·      88% will be asymptomatic in 6 weeks

·      98% in 24 weeks

·      99% in 52 weeks

·      97% of causes are unknown

·      2% attributed to disc problems

·      29% will require conservative treatment only

·      1% will require surgery

·      The rest will recover spontaneously2

 

RISK FACTORS – LOWER BACK MUSCLE PAIN

Postural deformities and leg length, in general, don’t seem to predispose to lower back muscle pain. Studies of static work postures indicate an increased risk of lower back muscle pain, sitting with a bent over working posture seems to carry significant risk, for example sitting in a car for more than half a work day can lead to three times the risk of disc herniation.3

·      Physically heavy, static work postures

·      Frequent bending and twisting, lifting and forceful movements

·      Repetitive work and vibrations

·      Tallness leads to increased risk

·      Sciatica is more frequent in obese people

·      Weak trunk muscles and decreased endurance

·      Coughing – leading to decreased blood supply to essential areas

·      Social factors i.e alcoholism, history of divorce, level of education, history of depression.4

 

SYMPTOMS OF LOWER BACK MUSCLE PAIN

Lower back muscle pain means a pain or ache somewhere between the bottom of the ribs at the back and the top of the legs. The may begin suddenly or follow obvious strain or injury or it can come ‘out of the blue’.

Pain may also travel for example down the buttocks even to the foot. It can be worse bending and is often worse when sitting. Agonizing pain can be experienced when rolling over in bed or sitting up. Coughing or sneezing may aggravate the pain. Back muscles may also go into painful spasms.

Lower back muscle pain may be combined with pain in the leg traveling down the knee. This is otherwise known as sciatica, because the main nerve in the leg (the sciatica nerve) is being irritated by pressure on it..

If in doubt consult your doctor, chiropractor, physiotherapist an osteopath or myotherapist.

 

GUIDELINES

The first thing to rule out is other obvious conditions which may cause back pain. Watch out for ‘red flags’ or warning signs, which are factors that may need more rapid treatment. They may point to something more serious than a mechanical problem. If any of these apply to you it is recommended that you see your doctor.

·      You are younger than 2o when you first get back pain

·      You are older than 55 when you first get back pain

·      The pain follows a violent injury

·      The pain is constant and getting worse

·      You have had or have cancer

·      You are on steroids

·      You are drug abuser

·      You have HIV

·      You are generally unwell

·      You have significant and unexplained weight loss

·      You have significant trouble bending forward over a period of time

·      You have developed nervous system problems – numbness, loss of power etc

·      You have developed an obvious structural deformities

·      If the pain continues over 4 weeks

 

CONCLUSION

If you are concerned about lower back muscle pain please consult your health care practitioner or doctor. To find out more information please visit  YourBackHealth.com

1 Listen to Your Pain. B, Benjamin. Penguin Books. P6

2 Ibid

3 Ibid P543

4 Ibid P544

 

What you eat every day has a direct effect on your health. Since we have millions of choices when it comes to food, what we eat decides how healthy we are, or unhealthy. Of course this choice can make us live in pain if we don`t know what to choose.

There are some specific types of food which can help you in the long run in the struggle against arthritis pain relief. If you eat healthy food, your joints will be healthy. I will list three best foods which will help you get rid of that nasty back pain.

Glucosamine

It has a very long history in combating arthritis pain. Every person has a small amount of glucosamine in the body. As we get older, the body produces less glucosamine and this leads to born spurs and cartilage hardening.

This natural compound made by our body uses a combination of glutamine and sugar making an amino acid. If your body is getting old, you have 2 choices in order to have more glucosamine in your body: you eat food rich in glucosamine or you take some supplement with this amino acid in it. It can be found in shrimps, lobsters and crabs.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Omega 3 acids can be found in sea food, especially fishes (sardines, salmon) but as well in borage oil, walnuts and in flax seeds. They reduce the tendency of cartilage cells to have inflammations and is a good guard against cartilages progressive deterioration.

Studies have revealed that people who took omega 3 supplements compared to people who didn´t take have less arthritis pain. So our advice is to eat as many walnuts, sea food as you can in order to protect you from arthritis pain.

Tart Cherries

Who would have thought that the compound which gives the red color to tart cherries is very effective against arthritis pain? Now everybody can benefit from this red cherries in their struggle with arthritis pain.

This compound also helps slow the pace of the natural deterioration of the body which isn´t bad at all for a small bright cherry. You can eat tart cherries in all the forms you may encounter: canned ones, tablets, frozen, concentrates or freeze dried.

I recommend you stick with the natural food in your fight with the arthritis pain for at least 6 months in order to see some major improvements. If you consider that these 3 types of foods are rather cheap to buy, it´s a very good diet that will improve your health.

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If you suffer from back pain from time to time you are not alone. Studies have shown that back pain is second only to the headache as the most common neurological disorder in the US.

If you have back pain, you need to have your condition assessed by your doctor so that you will know the exact cause for the pain. He or she may give you medications to relive the pain. Fortunately, there are also natural back pain relief methods that you can do on your own.

Below are 4 natural back pain relief methods that you can try.

1. Hydrate

Stocking up on water is always a good thing, since water is very effective at flushing out your body´s toxins and provides natural lubrication for your joints. Drinking 8-10 glasses a day is more than enough to keep your body balanced and hydrated.

2. Eat food with anti-inflammatory properties

Back pain is often caused by inflammation. Eating food with anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen the inflammation and the resulting pain. Foods with anti-inflammatory properties include apples, avocadoes, papayas, bananas, green leafy vegetables and beans.

3. Avoid Foods That Can Cause Inflammation

People who suffer from back pain also need to avoid certain foods which contain inflammatory properties, which mean that they can increase pain. Prime examples are alcohol, tea, dairy products, pastries, and chocolate.

4. Walking

If you do not like walking, you should start liking it now. Walking is a pretty good exercise for a bad back. It is not only a good way to get your circulation going; walking, unlike other forms of exercise, is easy on your joints and is a good way to strengthen your bones.

You can easily squeeze this activity in on your lunch break, since a short walk may only take you 5 to 10 minutes.

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Primarily, a diet that has a slight amount of fish oils assists to lubricate your joints and reduces the threat of back ache for you; so it’s a thoughtful concept to consider taking these kinds of diets once in a while, especially if you suffer from back pains on a steady basis.

Topical medicines are normally comforters that are taken by persons who are finicky as regards to what they place in their mouths; these medicines can be used on the exterior surface of the affected spot and are taken in by the skin into the body for the treasured effect.

A pitiful sitting and even standing posture have been well known to precipitate back pain. So, when sitting check that you sit straight and keep away from slouching, and in standing, make sure that you do not stand too long in order to confer rest for your muscles.

Knowing the source of your back pain assists due to the fact that it makes the prescription of a remedy very quicker as well as easier; that’s basically why it really is very suitable that you see your doctor when back ache persists so that he or she can search for the source of the back pain by querying back and forth and also performing certain tests.

A step you can take to deal with the condition of back pain is to adjust your sleeping pose; if you sleep by lying with face up, put a pillow under your knees and even a smaller pillow under your lower back… this way, you can wake up in the morning without doubling over in any pain.

An old mattress can bring you lots of back pains particularly if it’s lumpy and even uncomfortable; get a firm springy bed that supports your body to prevent any back pain condition; several persons don’t take this suggestion critcally but it can be the most valuable back pain tip you ought to consider.

Make certain that you find someone who makes you comfortable and secure if you are in search of an individual schooled in the art of acupuncture to aid you relieve your back ache.

In the course of exercising, you ought to include abdominal exercises to give a boost to the tissues of the stomach simply because they will eventually pull up the back muscles and also balance your center of gravity.

If you’re a pregnant woman, you’ll definitely be having back pains in some degree; to reduce it, steer clear of wearing high sorts of shoes as these tend to put a strain on your back; choose flat forms of shoes that give you a comfortable sense of balance.

In conclusion, surgery is an option for back pain that should only be taken with the opinion of your surgeon; it can be unsafe if done by a medical doctor that does not know what he or she is doing.

Beyond Chronic Back Pain Relief, check out useful online resources that can help you make healthier lifestyle choices like Reasons for Insomnia, Chronic Back Pain Relief Guide, and more.