What can cause chronic back pain?

As a matter of fact, chronic back pain results in many people to visit their doctor and even work absence and is a key reason that brings about disability globally.  

If you fail to stop back pain from happening, easy home remedies will help you recover from it within a matter of weeks. Actually, you do not have to undergo surgery to cure pain at your back.  

So, what causes chronic back pain? Here we have put together a practical guide on what chronic back pain is, what causes chronic back pain, chronic back pain symptoms, and treatment for severe back pain. 

Definition of Chronic Back Pain 

What is chronic back pain? Chronic back pain is pain that continues to happen following your operation or an injury. The source is usually difficult to determine.  

What causes chronic back pain? 

There are several factors that can lead to chronic back pain. The causes of chronic back pain include: 

• Osteoarthritis 

If you have osteoarthritis, your lower back can be impacted. Osteoarthritis can result in a condition known as spinal stenosis where the space around your spinal cord becomes narrow. 

• Osteoporosis 

If your bones get porous and fragile, that will feel pain at your spine.  

• Strain of muscle or ligament.  

If you need to lift heavy things many times in a row or move awkwardly and suddenly, there is a chance that your muscles and spinal ligaments can be forced back. This can really hurt your muscles. 

Chronic back pain symptoms 

Acute back pain typically disappears on its own without treatment. However, chronic back pain persists and when you have it you normally have the following symptoms: 

• pain down the buttocks and legs 

• fever  

• weight loss 

• physical injury to your back 

• loss of control over intestine movements, urination and defecation 

• back inflammation  

• loss of sensation around your anus, buttocks or genitals 

Chronic back pain after epidural 

After delivering a baby, if you gain weight, your hormone changes, and your ligaments and tendons become loose, you will likely have chronic back pain.  

If this happens, you are advised to go see a chiropractor. Treatment method can vary based on your specific needs. However, a typical chiropractor would recommend that you do some chronic back pain exercises such as core building exercise, extension exercise and stretching routine and apply ice directly on the spot to deal with your chronic back pain. 

Treatment for severe back pain 

To treat severe chronic back pain, home treatments such as over-the-counter pain relief medicine and resting from hard activities may not be sufficient. This is where medical treatment comes in. 

Physical therapy: a physical therapist might recommend you to apply electrical stimulation, ultrasound, ice, heat to aid in mitigating pain. Subsequently, some strength and flexibility exercises for the back and abdominal muscles may be introduced. Even if your pain has disappeared, you are advised to keep practicing these activities on a regular basis to prevent the recurrence of chronic back pain. 

Usage of pulleys and weights: to help alleviate chronic back pain, you are recommended to use pulleys and weights to stretch your back. This causes a herniated disk to move back into position. This only happens once you apply the traction. 

Injections of Cortisone: this might be a last resort if other choices are ineffective, you might need cortisone injections which can help you fight against inflammation around your nerve roots. They can also be used on the numb spots perceived as a cause of your chronic back pain. 

Takeaway 

Whether your case of chronic back pain stems from one of the chronic back pain causes above, you can take actions to keep back pain from happening. Your back and core muscles can become stronger and more resilient if you do physical activities such as strength training, stretches and yoga especially as we all get older.