Back pain is one of the biggest causes of disability in people under the age of forty-five. It’s one of the most debilitating things that you can deal with, and it’s actually one of the most common forms of chronic pain. It’s the kind of thing that can have a huge impact on your overall well being. It can stop you from being able to work. It can prevent you from being able to spend time with your family. It can make even something as simple as taking a walk or trying to relax in a deck chair into truly miserable experiences. There are a whole host different things that can cause back pain and each different cause can come with a different solution. Being able to identify what it is that’s causing your back pain is the first step in being able actually to do something about it. With that in mind, here are some of the most common causes of back pain that you might experience.
Your lifestyle
Probably the most common cause of back pain will probably come down to your lifestyle. Often the pain can be traced back to your posture. A lot of people spend the majority of their time sitting and working at a desk. That might seem like something that’s pretty low impact, but over time sitting at a desk can have a huge effect on your posture and put a great deal of strain on your spine as well. Not only can your posture cause issues, but there are plenty of other lifestyle causes. Heavy lifting and a lack of exercise can all cause strain or weakness that can lead to serious back pain. Fortunately, this is one of the easiest causes of back pain to deal with. By making some simple lifestyle changes, particularly in regards to your posture, can make a world of difference. Of course, that’s not to say that living an active life is going to completely protect you from potential back pain. You need to be sure that whatever activities you’re engaging in, you’re being as safe as possible to avoid hurting yourself. Of course, even worse than that is when you get hurt because of someone else.
Injury
Spinal injury can be one of the most damaging and debilitating forms of injury. It can prevent you from living your life happily and comfortably, sometimes for long periods. Some spinal injuries can even have permanent effects such as lifelong stiffness or paralysis. If you suffer from long-term pain as a result of injury, it can end up being pretty costly. If you’re in a position where you’ve suffered any kind of spinal injury because of someone else, whether it was on the road, at work, or anywhere else, it’s always worth looking into whether you might be entitled to any kind of compensation. After all, medical bills can be stressful enough, so why wouldn’t you want to try and avoid them as much as possible. Not only that but the sudden trauma of the kind of injury that can cause long-lasting back pain can have a serious impact on your life as a whole. This kind of situation is one where it’s not just a matter of dealing with the pain, but dealing with all of the fallout from an incredibly serious event.
Arthritis
While more commonly associated with other joints throughout your body, arthritis can cause back pain as well. In fact, it’s one of the more common arthritis symptoms. This tends to affect older people, but it can also be a back pain symptom in younger people as well. One of the most obvious signs that it’s an arthritic form of pain is that it’s often accompanied by a significant amount of stiffness. This is because arthritis causes a swelling of the joints, which can restrict your movement as well as causing pain. If you are suffering from arthritic back pain, then you should consult your doctor. There are plenty of treatment options that you can discuss with them. Anti-inflammatories are a fantastic method of reducing the swelling in your joints as well as managing your pain levels.
Other medical conditions
Of course, just because the cause of your back pain isn’t arthritis doesn’t mean that there aren’t other potential medical reasons behind it. The truth is that there is a whole host of different potential causes for back pain. From a herniated disc to sacroiliac joint dysfunction to more unusual causes like spinal infection and even spinal tumours. Sure, the chances are that it’s not going to be any of these things but if you’re ignoring your back pain on the off chance that it’s going to end up being something serious, then you’re just going to end up making life that much harder and more unpleasant for yourself. The only person who can really help you figure things out if there is a medical reason for your back pain is your doctor.
Of course, knowing what the cause of your back pain is, is only ever going to be the very first step on a long path to actually doing something about it. Often, the things that can help to make your life more pleasant and prevent your back pain from causing you any more problems than it already has are going to be long and difficult. Sadly, as with all chronic pain, there are rarely any quick fixes or easy answers. The truth is that it can often become a matter of managing the pain as much as it’s a matter of getting rid of it entirely. Remember, whatever the cause might be, the best possible thing that you can do is to consult your doctor and make sure that you’re not trying any treatment options without talking to them first. The last thing you want is to try and take things into your own hands without getting the right support from your doctor, only to find that you’ve made the whole situation a whole lot worse for yourself.
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