Back pain is something that we all tend to experience at some point or the other. But how is normal back pain different from chronic back pain? This article will help you identify the symptoms of chronic back pain, so that you can visit the doctor without neglecting the situation any further.

Back pain is actually one of the most common health issues that we tend to suffer from. The pain that occurs in the back can be due to any problem with the nerves, muscles, bones, and joints of the spine. Back pain and either be acute or chronic in nature. While the term acute is used for conditions that are temporary in nature, chronic back pain would mean that the pain in the back is something that the person would have to deal with for the rest of his life or take constant medication and treatment for the same. But how would you define the nature of your back pain? How would you know if the back pain you are experiencing is acute or chronic in nature?

Symptoms of Chronic Back Pain

There are various reasons as to why you may experience back pain. It could be due to sleeping or sitting in a wrong position, an injury or due to certain health conditions. While normal back pain may heal with time, chronic back pain is something that remains persistent or keeps on re-occurring time and again! Let us have a look at the signs and symptoms.

• The back pain remains persistent in nature.
• The pain may range from sharp to dull in nature, but is always present.
• The pain may radiate from your middle or lower back all the way to the hips, thighs, and even to the calf muscles and toes.
• The pain in the upper back can also radiate all the way to the neck.
• Another symptom is constant stiffness in the back and experiencing difficulty while sitting, standing straight, or lifting objects.
• In extreme cases, the back pain can be accompanied by additional symptoms like weakness, numbness, and tingling.
• You may also experience a sharp burning sensation along with the pain.

Treatment for Chronic Back Pain

There can be numerous causes for chronic back pain including injury, inflammation and health conditions like sciatica, urinary tract infection, herniated disk or osteoarthritis. Therefore, if you can identify with the aforementioned signs and symptoms, then it becomes extremely important for you to get yourself checked by a trusted health care specialist as soon as possible so that the condition doesn't lead to further complications. Though the treatment may vary based on the cause of the back pain, your doctor would usually include medications to relieve the pain. If need be, a surgery may also be required for causes like herniated disk or severe injury. Alternative therapies like acupuncture, yoga, bio-electric therapy can also prove to be effective. Physical therapy and nerve blocks, wherein a medication or injection is used to numb the nerves causing pain is also used for chronic back pain management. In case of spine related issues, a chiropractic treatment is known to be effective.

Back pain can occur anywhere, be it your upper, middle or lower back, and the treatment for all of these, more or less, has the same approach, unless of course the cause is different. I hope this article proved to be of help, at least in terms of understanding that though back pain is a common health issue, it should never be taken casually. Take care.