Back pain seems to be something everyone experiences at some point in their life. The truth is that this condition stems from several reasons, making it difficult to pinpoint the actual cause. In some cases, pain in the back could be the result of sitting the wrong way, therefore disappearing overtime. However, there are times when the pain is persistent and may be a symptom of more worrying causes.

Classification
First of all, the term "back pain" could be a bit vague. The back actually has different points and where the pain originates is very important. Anatomically, the back covers the area of the neck right down to the tailbone. Hence, there are several categories of backache, which are neck pain, upper backache and lower backache or what was previously referred to as the tailbone. Lower backache is actually common in pregnant women as their body changes to accommodate the additional weight of the child.

Diagnosis
Almost every adult have experienced backache at some point in their lives and more often than not, this is dismissed as something that would fade in time. This is true as 98% of most backache stem from non-specific causes and are therefore easily treated. In most cases, they are mostly the result of staying in a wrong position for a significant amount of time. Backaches usually last from a few hours to several days depending on the severity of the problem.

However, the other 2% of back pain sufferers may be having backache due to underlying conditions. Some of these include herniated disc, a condition in which the tissue separating the bones of vertebrae rupture. Cancer is also a possible reason for backache.

Since a large percentage of backache is not serious, sufferers usually ignore the condition. However, backaches that last for weeks is a cause for concern and must be brought to a doctor.

Treatment
For light back pain, treatment usually include medications like muscle relaxants and anti-inflammatory drugs. A common treatment that relieves pain is heat therapy. A cold compress is also viable although this is only applicable in some cases. A massage is also a popular option especially for those who experience backache due to stress and fatigue. Acupuncture and sometimes exercises are also used to treat backaches. The latter however are only ideal for people with specific backache problems as exercise can also be detrimental in relieving the problem. A good example of exercises for backache includes Yoga, which focuses on proper posture.

Of course, those are for the lighter cases. People who have backache as an underlying symptom of more severe health problems might find themselves getting surgery for the condition. Those who usually undergo surgery suffer from herniated disc, compression fracture and scoliosis.

All in all, back pain is not something people should ignore regardless of whether they are light or serious. At the very least, backache could prevent a person from doing their daily routine or sleeping soundly at night. Hence, it is important to address them immediately so that it would not worsen overtime.