What Causes Lower Back Pain - Possible Triggers and Factors

Are you wondering what causes lower back pain?

Those with lower back pain are not alone. Americans spend on average $50 billion annually on low back pain.

Lower back pain is the most common job-related disability and ranks high on the list of reasons people miss work. It is the second most common neurological ailment in the US after headaches, but also a leader in ailments that go away (often on their own with rest to the aggravated area) within a few days.

Men and women are equally affected by lower back pain. Though it can affect those of any age (in cases of injury, etc), it occurs between ages 30 and 50 most generally, due more as a result of a sedentary lifestyle with too much to eat and too little exercise - these factors are part of what causes lower back pain.

Lower back pain can be acute, which is short-term pain, lasting generally less than a few weeks, or chronic, which lasts three or more months. While most acute pain is mechanical in origin -sports injury, too much gardening, or a sudden impact jolt - chronic back pain is progressive in nature and what causes lower back pain is many times not easy to determine.

Symptoms of acute lower back pain can range from simple muscle aches to shooting, stabbing or burning pain, limiting range of motion or flexibility, to the inability to stand straight or even walk. Acute pain may radiate, or be coming from a disorder elsewhere in the body, while chronic pain often remains local, is intense, or can come and go. Pain syndromes of either type can become more serious if they are left untreated.

What are the physical mechanisms behind what causes lower back pain?

Whereas pain can occur when a person lifts an awkward or heavy object or overstretches during an activity, causing a sprain or spasm in muscles or ligaments, if the spine becomes strained or compressed, a disc may bulge or even rupture. This, in turn, can put pressure on any of the 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord which control movement, with back pain the result.

Also, as people age, muscle elasticity / tone decreases, causing discs to lose fluid along with flexibility. The risk of experiencing low back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration thus increases with age.

When trying to figure out what causes lower back pain, it is important to note that there are times when lower back pain indicates a more serious medical condition. Anytime it is accompanied by loss of bowel / bladder control, pain while coughing, a weakness in the legs, or even a fever, can all be pointing to a pinched nerve, respiratory problems, or influenza.

Sciatica spinal degeneration, spinal stenosis, osteoporosis, skeletal irregularities (including the results of arthritis), or lumbar strains are all conditions causing lower back pain as well as being serious enough to warrant treatment by a physician. Those suffering diabetes often battle lower back pain. Those with any of these symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible, as permanent damage can result.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with multi-pain symptoms of fatigue and multiple tender points at various body places, and among other disturbances is considered to be a common contributor of what causes lower back pain.

Further, kidney problems such as infections and stones are associated with lower back pain, as is pregnancy, ovary problems such as cysts, and endometriosis.

As you can see, there are many possible causes of lower back pain. To learn more, read the other related back pain or back ache related articles and pages.

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