The phrase “a pain in the neck” has been a well known pop culture saying for a few generations, and is generally associated with being considered an annoyance to another person. There was a time when the worst thing you could be to someone was a pain in the neck. What about being a pain in the back? Would this be considered worse or not as bad? For the many millions of people a day who have to deal with some degree of spinal discomfort, being “a pain in the back” would make you a Hulk sized pest.

Chronic back problems are not anything new under the sun. A lot of time and money have been invested over the year to determine what causes back pain and how it can be fixed, and even avoided. Doctors have unearthed quite a few common causes of back pain. Fortunately most of the time, all that is required is a pain reliever and some days of rest to have you back on your feet.

Time To Know Your Stuff

There are plenty of reading materials and articles through web sites on the internet to study up on what causes back pain. What doctors suggest causes back pain most of the time is overextending and overusing your back muscles, resulting in lumbar strains and pulls. This is especially frequent when engaging in sports activities. It may sound a little funny when you are cautioned to “lift with your legs,” but not adhering to that tidbit of advice could land you in some hot water and a slipped disc.

Sometimes what is causing the back pain is an iceberg; the pain is actually a symptom of something bigger that normally cannot be seen with the naked eye. The exception, of course would be a weapon or large object actually protruding from your spine. That would hurt. But in most cases, any internal back pains should be checked out by a physician. Bladder and kidney infections have often been detected early because the patient scheduled a doctor visit to find out what the cause of their back pain was.

Self diagnosis to try and figure out what causes back pain should only be a preliminary checklist to make for your doctor; do not attempt to be your own physician. As well as you may know your own body, you can still miss something. There may be other symptoms that you are not concentrating on because they do not have anything to do with your spine. Always get a second opinion from someone with a medical degree.