The Truth About Back Pain

There are many different reasons that people have back pain but the most usual reason is poor posture. If a person constantly sits or stands incorrectly, a sore back is often the outcome. We were often told by our parents to “sit or stand up straight” as children and they were correct. For a person that has had poor posture their entire lives, eventually their joints damage and start wearing out. Unfortunately, the back pain caused by this is as severe as a person that had an accident. There are other causes of back pain and understanding them helps us to avoid or deal with back pain.

If your back pain is persistent then it is time to see a doctor. The doctor will be able to run tests to find out why you are in pain and the different treatments available to bring you relief from this pain. Usually for less severe back problems, within two weeks of starting treatment, there will be relief from the pain.

Two different types of back pain are neuropathy and nociceptive.

Nociceptive – caused by disease of injury, pressure or ache, such as arthritis
Neuropathy – a burning or stabbing sharp pain caused by nerve tissue such as a pinched nerve

Acute and Chronic Back Pain
Acute back pain is often in the lower part of someone’s back. Sometimes the pain is a constant, dull ache or a very piercing, sharp pain in the lower back and is often on either side or even the centre. This pain can stop and start but is most often constant with different degrees of severity. Acute back pain will often just start up with no known reason. Injury of trauma can also cause acute back pain. After six to eight weeks, this back pain will improve or be gone completely.

About fifty percent of people with acute back pain have injured their back. Sometimes it is a torn muscle, strained joint or trauma and causes intense back pain. Usually these conditions cause the patient to have decreased activities and muscle spasms. Physical therapy often helps along with preventative practices and follow-ups if necessary. If a person suffers from acute back pain more than three times annually or have problems with daily activities such as sleeping, walking or driving, to mention just a few, often will develop chronic back problems

Chronic Back Pain
Unlike acute back pain, patients describe chronic back pain as aching, dull, burning or deep pain in a certain part of the back. This pain can be the result of arthritis, previous injuries or nerve damage. Often this pain will travel down a person’s leg causing pins and needles, tingling, burning or numbness. Often with chronic back pain, people have difficulty working. Unlike acute back pain, chronic pain does not respond well to regular medicine management and the pain lasts longer than chronic back pain. Always see a doctor is you have severe back pain that is not going away.

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