Back pain is the bane of adulthood. Statistics show that 90% of all adults will suffer from back pain at some point in their life. 'Dorsalgia' - means from latin dorsal - back and algos - pain in terms of medicine. Dorsalgia is basically pain in the dorsal region of the body and mainly originates in the spinal column and its associated structures like the nerves, muscles, bones, joints etc.

The spinal cord which is the connecting link between the brain and the rest of the body forms the complicated structure called spinal column or backbone. The spine is anatomically divided into 4 regions: cervical or the neck region, thoracic or the upper back, lumbar or lower back and pelvic or tail bone region. According to which region the pain occurs back pain is classified.

Causes: No serious pathological condition is seen in vast majority of those suffering form non specific back pain. Some of the common causes are, back pain occurs due to damage or disease of the spine and associated structure in the rest like the tendons, nerves, ligaments, intervertebral disks etc.; infection, musculoskeletal damage, cancer, epidural abscess, spinal osteomyelitis etc.

Synovial joints of the vertebrae and the skeletal muscles of the back are the most likely causes of back pain. Muscular imbalances is caused by muscle spasm and muscle strain that result in back pain. Inflammation of the synovial joints of the spine, due to injury or infection, can cause acute pain in the lower back.

Symptoms:

* The pain in the associated region is the most apparent symptom of dorsalgia.

* Severe, chronic back pain accompanied by weight loss signify severe illness.

* Damage to the spinal column may happen due to back pain that started after an accident or trauma .

* Progressive weakness in the back and legs along with incontinence may indicate severe illness which can be life threatening if left untreated.

* People suffering from bone loss are at risk of spinal fracture and generally suffer from some sort of back pain. * Infections resulting in inflammation of the synovial joints result in acute back pain, especially in the lower back region.

If you suffer from chronic back pain immediately consult your doctor but most cases of back pain are minor and non progressive.