Back pain is a common ailment affecting millions of people. Studies show that the number one health related problem at the work place is back pain. The back is a vital to all movements of the body. To understand pain related to the back, it is also important to understand its structure. Our back is made up of 33 small bones known as vertebrae, stacked on top of each other also called the spine. These bones are connected by tendons, muscles, and ligaments. The severity of back pain depends on the nature of pressure exerted on this spine through various movements of our body. Back pains can range from being a simple muscle ache to a stabbing back pain which is very severe, limiting the range of motions and flexibility in a person. Symptoms of back pain are more profound in this condition.

Back pain can either be acute or chronic. Acute pain is temporary in nature and can be caused suddenly in an instant, as a result of some activity. The pain is often agonizing but short lived. The causes of back pain of this nature are visible and identifiable. It is usually a result of some type of injury, like a fall from the stairs or a minor bicycle collision. But the reasons and causes of back pain chronic in nature are often invisible. Chronic back pain develops gradually over a period of time and starts off as mild pain in a specific region in the lower back which is often shrugged off as normal pain which goes unidentified.Over time, this pain becomes more severe and shows its true nature only after making strong roots due to negligence on the affected person’s part. As a result, the spine loses its alignment gradually to a point where it becomes dysfunctional. The pain arising in this condition is often excruciating. One can work out a chronic back pain management plan by consulting a registered physician to get timely relief. This helps one to live with the pain in a positive manner. The most common type of back pain disorder is lower back pain and it is often chronic in nature. Lower back pain develops in the lumbosacral region (lower part of the back). There are three types of lower back pain. Symptoms of back pain differ in all these types:

1.Axial Lower Back Pain: This is a most common condition where pain is restricted to the lower back. The pain can range from a dull ache to severe one and can stay in those affected all the time, or it may come and go.

2.Radicular Lower Back Pain: Here, the pain is constant and severe. It appears in nerves of the legs and often causes weakness of the muscles together with a sensation of tingling and numbness.

3.Lower Back Pain with Referred Pain: The pain is dull and aching which keeps moving around and varies in intensity. Starting from the lower back, this pain spreads to the groin, buttocks, and the upper thigh.

There are many treatments for back pain available including physiotherapy, pain killers, and surgery to deal with the condition. Alternative treatments for back pain include, but are not limited to: yoga, acupuncture, capsaicin cream (made from ingredient found in chili peppers), meditation, and naturopathy among others.One should be well informed about options related to treatment for back pain which aids in creating awareness and seek proper medical help and guidance. On discovering symptoms of back pain one should consult a registered medical practitioner to avoid complications from developing later on. Physiotherapist advices various exercises for back pain which help in alleviating the sufferings associated with this condition.