Lower Back Pain

There are numerous factors which can cause a lower back pain. Most common causes include falls and injuries to muscles, ligaments, facet joints, or the sacroiliac joints and pressure on nerve roots in the spinal canal. Moreover causes such as compression fractures as a result of illnesses such as osteoporosis can also lead to a condition of lower back pain. Along with such common causes many rare cases of a lower back pain are results of conditions such as Ankylosing spondylitis which is a form of arthritis, bacterial infections, spinal tumors, failed back surgery syndrome and Paget's disease.

Lower back pain conditions are classified in many ways. One such common way of classification is based on the duration of the symptoms, i.e. acute - if the symptoms are less than four weeks, sub acute - if the symptoms are between four to twelve weeks and chronic - if the symptoms remain for more than twelve weeks. As a result the treatments for lower back pain conditions will vary based on its classification as stated above along with the cause of the pain.

Generally for an acute lower back pain condition, it is not required to visit a doctor for treatment. Treatments such as obtaining sufficient amount of bed rest, using a heat pad and consuming mild pain killers will heal the lower back pain. However if the pain continues subsequent to such self care treatments at home, it is advised to seek medical attention. Some of the prescribed medications by doctors are Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory medications (NSAIDs), Antidepressants and Acetaminophen. But it should be noted that such prescription will take place only after carefully analyzing the cause and symptoms of the back pain. Therefore it is strictly suggested to use such medications only under professional recommendations especially if the medications are to be used for a prolonged period. In addition to medications doctors could also propose to undergo surgeries if the condition is severe.

Nonetheless lower back pain is a condition which is likely to reappear even after medical attention has been provided. Therefore preventive techniques of specific recommended exercises such as abdominal crunches and stretching exercises along with the use of correct postures when sitting, standing etc. and using support belts will be helpful to avoid lower back pain in the long run.