Sometimes, the culprit of back pain can remain undetermined despite checkups and medical tests. That’s because problems that result in extreme pain for some individuals can lead to no symptoms at all in another. Back pain itself isn’t necessarily serious or life-threatening. However, it can indicate a more severe health condition.
Read on to discover the seven most common potential reasons for pain in your back.
1. Overuse
Your back may become painful due to regular participation in strenuous physical activities. In such cases, some of the muscles and ligaments in your back may get injured or overstretched. Back pain from overuse typically subsides on its own in a matter of days.
2. Deteriorated or herniated discs
As you get older, spinal discs that cushion your vertebrae get damaged or break down. This can result in stiffness and pain if your discs deteriorate completely and vertebrae start to contact each other. This condition is called degenerative disc disease.
When one of your discs starts to herniate, its inner spongy portion sticks out through the spinal canal and pressures the neighboring spinal nerves. This can result in pain and discomfort that radiates to your buttocks and further down your leg. Consider visiting a pain management clinic to determine whether or not you have herniated discs. Pain specialists can perform various imaging tests to detect herniated discs. These include MRI, myelogram, CT scans, and X-rays.
3. Alignment problems
Scoliosis is a three-dimensional curve in the backbone that may occur in children, teens, and older individuals affected by arthritis. It may not cause pain until you're in your middle years or later when it starts to put pressure on the nerves in your backbone.
The ligaments that keep your spine in place gradually wear, causing degenerative spondylolisthesis. Your vertebrae can slip out of place, sliding forward until one is stacked on top of another. When they start compressing the spinal nerves, the condition becomes painful.
Pain or deformities in your foot or ankle can also cause alignment issues, resulting in an altered gait. This can cause your ligaments and tendons to stretch beyond their normal range of motion. It's also possible that you'll experience pain and arthritis in your lower back.
4. Fractures
The vertebrae can be broken in a fall or other accident. However, the most common cause of fractures is osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease. Your vertebrae can crumble over time, causing pain when you move or when bones press against nerves.
5. Infections and tumors
Osteomyelitis is a rare but severe infection that can affect your vertebrae and cause pain. Discitis, or inflammation of the disks between interlocking bones that form your spinal cord, is another possibility. Back pain can also be caused by cancer, which occurs when tumors develop along your backbone.
6. Spinal stenosis
When you have degenerative disk disease, your body may respond by producing bone spurs to support your spine. The ligaments connecting the vertebrae can thicken as osteoarthritis progresses. These changes can narrow your spinal canal, causing back pain, leg pain, and loss of sensation. This condition can make it difficult to walk and may require surgery.
7. Non-spinal health issues
Pain in or near your lower back can be caused by a variety of conditions, not just those affecting your back muscles and joints. Kidney disease, kidney stones, urinary tract infections, pregnancy, fibromyalgia, and appendicitis are just a few examples.
The bottom line
If you’ve recently started to experience back pain without any apparent reason, consider reaching out to a pain management specialist to determine its precise cause. Your doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment to help relieve your symptoms and prevent the condition from worsening.
