Musculoskeletal causes of back pain

Most cases of back pain are related to issues in human musculoskeletal system and are not related to severe diseases.[1] Musculoskeletal problems also called mechanical because many of them linked to vertebrae physical motions.[2]

Description

edit

Back pain itself is not considered a diagnosis, but rather a symptom of underlying (in most cases musculoskeletal) problems.[2] following:

  • Vertebrae misalignment, which can cause nerve interference (also called subluxation),[3] muscle tension, or muscle spasm[4][5]
  • Strained muscles[6]
  • Sprained ligaments[6]
  • Ruptured disks,[6] which also called "slipped",[7] or herniated disks[2]
  • Degenerative discs (lose their cushioning ability).[2] The degeneration usually caused by repetitive strain, or injury, or aging.[8]
  • Irritated joints[6]

Back pain recurrence risk reduction

edit
  • Use safe lifting technique,[1] don't bend over, and maintain your back straight when lifting heavy objects[6]
  • Push instead of pulling when moving heavy objects[6]
  • Stay active: regular exercises and physical activities help to maintain back muscles and ligaments strong. In turn, strong back muscles provide better support for spine to keep the vertebrae properly aligned, which can ease the back pain and reduce the risk of chronic back pain returning.[2][9] Although, for acute back pain exercises usually not recommended and physical activity should be slow, but it is critical to keep moving as much as possible, because inactivity leads to weakening back muscles and ligaments, and to gain more weight, which might exacerbate back pain.[2][10]
  • Sit Up Straight! The way you sit may either cause or help to prevent back pain.[10]
  • Maintain proper posture: In many cases poor posture (also called bad posture) is the root cause of back pain because of more stress on the disks and less back muscles activity.[1][10] Most common bad posture samples are round back, sway back, forward head, excessive anterior and exterior pelvis tilts.[10] Proper standing, sitting, and lifting techniques help to reduce the risk of back pain returning.[7] Good posture trains and strengthens back muscles naturally. Maintaining good posture when walking, standing, and sitting in addition to standard medical treatments (and alternative therapies such as chiropractic manipulations[6]) is likely to address the roots of many back pain problems.[10]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c American Chiropractic Association (ACA). "Back Pain Facts & Statistics". Archived from the original on 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). "Handout on Health: Back Pain". Publication Date: July 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
  3. ^ American Chiropractic Association (ACA). "The Saga of Chiropractic". Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  4. ^ J.W. Brantingham, DC. "Journal of Chiropractic. Volume 22. Number 8. Professional Papers. A Survey of Literature…" (PDF). American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Publication Date: August, 1985.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ K. Erickson, DC. "Surprising Ways a Chiropractor Can Help You" (PDF). American Chiropractic Association (ACA). Publication Date: November, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2011-11-17.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g American Chiropractic Association (ACA). "Does Back Pain Go Away on Its Own?". Archived from the original on 2012-04-28. Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  7. ^ a b American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). "Herniated Disk". Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  8. ^ American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). "Study: Physical Therapy is Effective for Low Back Pain". Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  9. ^ American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS). "Low Back Pain". Retrieved 2011-10-20.
  10. ^ a b c d e American Osteopathic Association (AOA). "Prevention, The Best Treatment for Back Pain". Retrieved 2011-10-20.
edit