Back pain

Low back pain is a common health problem in all developed countries and is most commonly treated in primary healthcare clinic. It is usually defined as pain, muscle tension,or stiffness localised below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain (sciatica).Most of us will experience at least one episode of low back pain during our life. 

lower back pain comes in three forms: acute, sub-acute or chronic. 

It is worth mentioning that when the lower back pain is six weeks or less, it is called acute lower back pain.

Lower back pain would be referred to as sub-acute when it lasts for more than six weeks but does not exceed three months.
Lower back pain would be referred to as chronic back pain when it lasts for more than three months.

Some causes of back pain --

Sitting For A Longer Period

Bad sitting habits or sitting for too long can affect the spinal tendons and strain the spine's muscles. Sitting for too long can weaken the back muscles and make them less flexible. Besides, it tends to reduce the circulation of blood and oxygen flow in the muscle cells.

This could deform the natural spine curve and leave only the back muscles to support and hold the back in shape. If your line of duty makes you sit for a longer period, it is advised that you make use of a sit-stand stool or adjustable seat for your back health.

Improper Lifting Of Heavy Objects

Stress can be placed on the back by wrongly lifting heavy objects, leading to a muscle tear, destroying the tissue, fractures, or more severe cases. To this advert this condition, it is advised to use your bum muscles when carrying heavy objects.

Bad Posture

For many individuals, bad posture is one of the leading causes of back pain.

The biomechanics of the body can be altered by bad posture. Discomfort in the back can be due to too much pressure on the lower back, which has caused damage to the body biomechanically. To get rid of this, it is recommended to practice and maintain correct postures. This can help to avert some serious health issues.

 Injury

Acute pain may come as a result of injury to the structures that provide stability to the spine such as muscles and ligaments. These kinds of injuries are common in athletes, but may also result from motor vehicle accidents or direct blows to the back using heavy objects.

They include sprains, fractures to the lumbar vertebrae, injury to the intervertebral discs, and subluxations. 

Degeneration/Herniated disc

The vertebrae form small joints with each other called facet joints which are responsible for directing and limiting motion of the spine. It is at the cartilaginous discs and the facet joints that the degenerative processes take place.

The discs are made up of specialized cells that can survive without blood. They are thus not supplied by either the circulatory or the nervous system. Repeated stress can therefore cause the discs to shrink; lose flexibility and the ability to absorb physical forces over time. This increases strain on other parts of the spine. Vertebrae at times may start rubbing over each other, ligaments of the spine thicken and bony growths develop on the vertebrae. As a result, there is reduced space through which, the nerve roots pass as they leave the spinal cord. Reduction in this space results in compression of the nerve root, causing pain.

Medical conditions

Medical conditions such as tumors and conditions affecting the female reproductive system may cause acute low back pain and other pelvic inflammation diseases. Nearly all pregnant women report pain in the lower back during pregnancy due to changes in their posture and center of gravity causing muscle and ligament strain. 

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