Every person suffers from back pain at least once in his lifetime. It may be a mild or severe one affecting lower back or other parts of the body like shoulder, arms, neck, chest, or abdominal. According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, backache is the second most common neurological ailment in The United States, just next to headache. Mainly, there are two types of back pain.
Acute back pain Acute back pain is generally found in the lumbar or a low back region. This type of pain could be caused due to region's structure including spinal bones, ligaments around the spine, spinal cord and nerves, discs between the vertebrae, muscles of low back, skin covering the lumber area and internal organs of pelvis and abdomen. This is generally a short term pain that lasts for a few days or weeks. Some of the symptoms of acute back pain include stabbing pain, aching in the muscles, limited flexibility and range of motion with a disability to stand straight.
In many cases acute back pain radiates in to the other parts of the body creating more pain in the body. If acute pain doesn't diminish within a few days or weeks then it has all the possibility of turning in to a more serious, painful and chronic one. Most people suffering from acute back pain either have a history of low back pain or they have involvement in some form of strenuous activity just before the origin of pain. Many times acute back pain doesn't need doctor for treatment, if in some cases needed, it is treated by ice and home exercise program under the supervision of a doctor or a therapist.
Chronic pain It is a pain that stays for a longer period even after the healing process. The time period could be from several months to years depending upon the severity of the pain. This pain is progressive in nature which increases over the period of time. Sometimes, it is difficult to determine the cause of chronic back pain. Chronic pain is different from acute pain as the pain persists and keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months and even years.
Normally the cause of back pain starts with a sprained back, an infection, arthritis, or cancer but sometimes chronic pain is not caused due to any injury or body damage. People with chronic pain often complain about low back pain, headache, arthritis pain, cancer pain, neurogenic pain and psychogenic pain.
It is important to cure chronic pain, as it can take the form of a deadly disease, by employing various treatments like acupuncture, medications, electrical stimulation, surgery and few more. Psychotherapy, relaxation and medication therapies also help in curing chronic pain. These are the two basic types of back pain which are most widely known. Know the cause and symptoms of each type to chalk out a better treatment for yourself. Various treatments are known today for both the types of back pain. Consult your doctor to find the best one for you.
