Every person experiences back pain at least once in his or her life. There are plenty of reasons for back pain to occur. Here are some reasons for back pain:

You might have a herniated disk. A herniated disk occurs when the disks in your spine get pressed on a nerve.

You might have sciatica. Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is encroached upon by a herniated disk. Sciatica is characterized by a sharp pain that shoots through the back of the leg and the buttocks.

You might have spinal stenosis. Spinal Stenosis is a condition in which the space around the nerve roots and the spinal cord gets smaller because of bone over growth or arthritis. Spinal Stenosis could pinch a nerve.

You might have Spondylosis: Spondylosis is a kind of arthritis and is caused by the degeneration of the spine that happens as people age.

Your muscles might be imbalanced. A lot of peoples' back pain is caused by muscles that are out of balance. Muscles that aren't balanced are considerably weaker than balanced muscles and can't keep joints stabilized in their sockets. This means that the joint can get misaligned or move incorrectly, which can cause pain to radiate throughout the back.

Your posture might be poor. Most back pain is caused by simple poor posture. Slumping or crouching over can cause extra strain to be put on your spine as it is forced to be smashed into positions that aren't natural. Poor posture can cause the body to move incorrectly. Pain caused by poor posture is usually located in the lower back.

You might not be getting enough exercise. Your back muscles actually need to be stretched and worked regularly or else they will weaken and not be able to support your spine as easily. When your muscles are weak they can become sore, and when your spine is not supported the disks can move and cause damage to the nerves.

Tips to Alleviate Back Pain:

Rest, but only for a couple of days. The back needs movement just as much as it needs rest to stay healthy, so even while you are resting make sure to move around at least once an hour.

Anti-inflammatory Over the Counter Medications: Advil or Tylenol or Aleve will work just fine. Anti-inflammatory medications can reduce any swelling in the muscles of the back which will relieve any pain you might be feeling. Unfortunately these medications wear off so if pain persists for more than a couple of days, make sure to call your doctor.

Heat: Using a heating pad at the site of the most intense pain can help to relax the muscles and increase blood flow to the area which should alleviate the back pain you might be feeling.

There are many reasons for back pain and only a visit to your doctor can determine the exact reason for your back pain. Your doctor can perform an examination and determine the best course of action to treat the reasons for back pain.


Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill