Common Conditions That Result in Back Pain

Nearly all episodes of acute back pain are due to muscular strain and these will resolve eventually because our muscles possess a good blood supply bringing the essential nutrients and proteins for healing to happen. In fact about 50% of patients will feel pain relief within two weeks and 90% within three months, regardless of the treatment.

For sufferers that have lower back pain or leg pain that lasts longer than three months a more specific treatment method for the pain should be looked for. In younger adults the disc is most likely to be the cause of pain and conditions might include:

• Lumbar disc herniation - As a disc degenerates, it may herniate which means the inner core leaks out, which is known as a disc herniation or a herniated disc. The weak spot in the outside core of the disc is immediately below the spinal nerve root, so a herniation in this area puts direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can result in sciatica. Pain that radiates down the leg and is caused by a herniated disc is called a radiculopathy.

• Degenerative disc disease - Degenerative disc disease refers to a syndrome in which a compromised disc causes low back pain. Lumbar degenerative disc disease usually starts off with a twisting injury to the lower back, such as when a person rotates to put something on a shelf or swing a golf iron. However, the pain is also frequently caused by simple deterioration of the spine.

• Isthmic Spondylolisthesis - The spine condition occurs when one vertebral body slips forward on the one beneath it because of a small fracture in a section of bone that connects the two joints on the rear side of the spinal segment.

For older people the source of the back or leg pain is far more likely to be osteoarthritis and the related conditions may include:

• Facet Joint Osteoarthritis - Osteoarthritis, also referred to as degenerative arthritis, can cause breakdown of cartilage between the facet joints. When the joints move, the lack of the cartilage causes pain as well as loss of motion and stiffness. The facet joints are located in the back portion of the spine. The joints combine with the disc space to make a three-joint complex at each vertebral level. The facet joint is made of two opposing bony surfaces with cartilage between them and a capsule around it that produces fluid. The combination of the cartilage and the fluid allows the joint to move with little friction. However, facet joint arthritis will cause the cartilage to breakdown and the joint movement is associated with more friction. The sufferer loses mobility and as they get stiffer they have more back pain.

• Degenerative Spondylolisthesis - The name is Latin for "slipped vertebral body", and it is diagnosed when one vertebra slips forward over the one beneath it. This condition occurs as a consequence of the general aging process in which the bones, joints, and ligaments in the spine grow to be weak and less able to hold the spinal column in alignment. This disease is more common in people over fifty but most affected individuals are over 65, with women being afflicted more than men.

All these conditions explained relate to the lower back and we have only discussed the most prevalent. There are many other miscellaneous causes, as well as various conditions causing upper back pain and neck pain and in this respect it is easy to see how "back pain" can so easily be wrongly diagnosed.