5 Common Causes of Back Pain You Should Know
If you experience back pain, you’re not alone. Back pain is extremely common – about 80% of people will get back pain in their lifetime. But what causes back pain? There are several reasons that someone may develop back pain, acute or chronic. In this article, we will explore five common causes of back pain.
Common Symptoms of Back Pain
Back pain is quite uncomfortable; your back is responsible for supporting your body in most positions. So, when there’s an injury or inflammation, simply sitting still can be excruciating.
Folks with back pain have described the discomfort as some of the following sensations:
- Muscle aches and soreness
- Shooting pains
- Burning pain
- Stabbing pains in specific areas of the back
- Pain that radiates down the legs
- Tightness or crunchiness in the muscles
- Pain with movement and/or sitting still
Common Causes of Back Pain
Muscle Deconditioning or Overuse
Your back muscles do a lot of heavy lifting. Therefore, it’s important to maintain a level of strength and flexibility to support your body. As you age, or with low levels of activity, your muscles can weaken. Not having adequate strength in your back muscles increases the likelihood of muscle and tendon strain.
Another reason this can happen is when the back muscles are overused. For instance, if your job is to shovel holes, you may suffer from back aches as these muscles do not get a chance to recover or you may pull or strain a muscle. This often happens if your job involves a lot of repetitive motions. Conversely, it can happen if there is a rare occasion where you’re using your back muscles more than normal. For example, carrying several boxes up and down stairs while helping someone move out of their apartment.
Bulging or Ruptured Discs
Spinal discs occur between each vertebrae in the spine. They make the spine flexible. Some common disc concerns include bulging and ruptured discs. Issues with the discs can lead to severe back pain.
Discs can bulge due to aging as the cartilage stiffens, changing the shape of the disc. Ruptured (also known as herniated or slipped) discs occur when there is a break in the outer cartilage, allowing the softer inner cartilage to move outward. This can result in the compression of surrounding nerves, leading to pain.
Poor Posture
Your posture can make a big difference in your likelihood for developing back pain. The way you sit or stand can place safe or unsafe amounts of force on your spine. For example, the angle at which you hold your head changes the amount of weight your neck must support. It is estimated that for every inch forward you hold your head, an extra ten pounds of weight is placed on the cervical spine. This can place significant stress on your spine overtime.
Chronic poor posture can lead to many issues that create back pain. Poor posture leads to muscular imbalances, joint degeneration, and eventually, mobility issues. More issues arise as more stress is added to the spine, joints, and surrounding muscles.
Health Conditions
Some back pain can originate from underlying health conditions. Back pain can come from diseases of the muscles, nerves, joints, or spine. The table below summarizes some conditions that are commonly associated with back pain.
| Medical Condition | Area Affected |
|---|---|
| Osteoporosis | Spine |
| Ankylosing Spondylitis | Joints & Vertebrae |
| Arthritis | Joints |
| Fibromyalgia | Muscles and/or nerves |
| Complex Regional Pain Syndrome | Nerves |
| Scoliosis | Spine |
These conditions may require medication, surgery, or other therapeutic approaches to treat and manage.
Traumatic Events
Traumatic events that cause injury are a very common cause of back pain. This could include incidents like car accidents, slips, or falls. When you get hit by a car, your body experiences a lot of force suddenly. This could really harm you, leading to a long period of recovery.
When there is an injury, it’s normal to experience acute pain while the body heals. However, compensation or avoidance of activity may occur as a result of protecting the injured area. This leads to weakening of muscles and overuse of other muscles. Chronic back pain can develop when patterns of behavior, like avoidance, become reinforced.
What to do about back pain
If you’re experiencing back pain, consult your healthcare provider. It’s important to seek medical help as acute pain can become chronic back pain, which can be debilitating. Working with your healthcare provider, you can come up with a treatment plan together that addresses the causes and symptoms.
A preventative practice to avoid back pain is regular exercise. Strengthening your back muscles can avoid future strains and soreness from activity. Stretching and warming up before exercise is essential to avoiding injury. Further, practicing safe lifting and good posture is vital to protecting your back.
As mentioned, some back pain is unavoidable if there is an underlying medical condition. However, finding a treatment plan with your doctor and identifying it early can help.
Conclusion
Back pain is quite common, so awareness of what can lead to back pain is extremely important. When faced with back pain, know that there are options for treatment. However, the best option is proactive prevention of back pain, through exercise, good posture, and injury prevention.
References
Campbell, C. & Muncer, S. J. (2009). The causes of low back pain : a network analysis. Social Science Medicine, 60 (2). pp. 409-419.
Cohen, S.P., Argoff, C.E., & Carragee, E.J. (2009). Management of low back pain. BMJ, 338. pp. 100-106.
Martel, J. (2019). What You Should Know About Low Back Pain. Healthline. Retrieved from this link
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022). Back Pain: Symptoms & Causes. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from this link
Morrison, G. (2018). How poor posture causes neck pain. Spine-health. Retrieved from this link
Shelerud, R.A. (2022). Bulging disk vs. herniated disk: What’s the difference? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from this link
TRIA. (n.d.). What causes chronic back pain? Here are the 5 most common culprits. HealthPartners. Retrieved from this link