Back pain can be caused by many things. People often think it has to do with age alone. Low back pain, however, can have many causes. It can also afflict people of all ages.

The back is made up of many parts. The centre piece structure that holds the back in place is the spinal column, which also has the task of protecting the spinal cord and the multitude of nerves and nervous pathways that go up and down the torso. The spine itself is made up of vertebrae, and each vertebrae is separated from its neighbours above and below by round pads of cartilage called discs. Ligaments and tendons hold the vertebrae in place and attach the muscles of the back to the spinal column. The vertebrae are divided up into parts called the cervical or neck vertebrae, the thoracic or upper torso vertebrae, the lumbar vertebra or lower back area, and the root of the spine where the tailbone is located. Low back pain occurs in the lumbar part of the spine.

Depending on how long someone suffers from back pain, their pain may be considered acute or chronic. Low back pain that endures for a few days to a few weeks, or at least less than three months, is considered acute. Chronic back pain, on the other hand, lasts longer than just three months.

Many things can cause the spine to experience low back pain. Posture, obesity, weight gained due to pregnancy and a poorly kept physical condition also attribute to back pain. Simply losing weight and living a healthy active life can greatly improve the health of the spine and back.

Trauma to the lower back is a serious cause of low back pain that has to be examined as soon as it occurs. Car accidents that whip the body around can cause back pain, as well as people who overstretch when reaching or pick up something too heavy. These things can cause trauma to the back, causing the discs between the vertebrae to bulge. Nerve and muscle tissue can become irritated, bone lesions can occur, and left untreated, these things can become much more serious.

If low back goes untreated and is of a serious nature, it can become something else more serious such as sciatica. Sciatica is caused when herniated or ruptured discs press on the sciatic nerve. This nerve runs down the spinal column to the pelvis and if irritated, can cause shock like or burning back pain. This pain shoots through the buttocks and travels down a leg, going often as far as below the knee.

Low back pain in general can reduce a person\’s flexibility, making it nearly impossible for them to bend. The muscles ache with shooting or stabbing pains, and often a person is not able to stand up straight. Men and women are equally afflicted by back pain. In a single year, Americans will spend approximately fifty billion dollars in total on treating back pain. It is the most common cause of job related disability and missed work. Even teenagers can be afflicted by back pain when they carry heavy backpacks full of school supplies. While aging of course brings such ailments as osteoporosis and its symptom of back pain, this type of pain can be caused by gardening, housework, lifting something improperly or simply poor sleeping habits and posture.

Any sort of back pain caused for whatever reason should be examined by a doctor if it doesn\’t go away after a few days. Acute low back pain can easily turn into something more chronic. It might also be the sign of something more serious. Visit a doctor or back specialist to confirm any diagnosis.

Normally individuals wrongly consider specific physical problems are only attributed to aging or only afflict older individuals. When it comes to back pain nyc, they couldn\’t be more wrong. More info on the best Back pain relief nyc, now a click away!

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