There are many lower back pain causes. These include nerve irritation, lumbar strain, bony encroachment, lumbar radiculopathy, and some other joints and bone conditions. Each of these lower back pain causes is reviewed in this article.
1. Irritation in the nerves
Irritation in the nerves is one of the known lower back pain causes. Patients with this condition experience extreme pain due to the irritation in their lumbar spine caused by diseases developing on the nerves' paths, which can affect the roots of the spinal cord up to the skin's surface. Different diseases caused by back pain, including nerve inflammation, bony encroachment and lumbar diseases are often associated with the irritation in the nerves.
2. Acute and Chronic Lumbar Strain
Lumbar strain is one of the known lower back pain causes suffered by many low back pain patients. This condition often occurs after an injury caused by stretching occurred in the tendons and ligaments in the lower back muscle. This occurrence causes varying levels of microscopic degenerations in the tissues affected by the injury, often through overuse improper use, or trauma. Lumbar strain is considered acute if the patient has experienced pain for only days or weeks while it is considered chronic if the pain is experienced for over three months.
3. Bony Encroachment
Bony encroachment is experienced when the vertebrae located in the lumbar spine grows or move, causing the space of the nerves and spinal cords to be limited. Because of the extreme pain it causes, it is considered as one of the major lower back pain causes and is typically caused by foraminal narrowing, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis, which are also the known causes of sciatica pain characterized by a radiating pain in the lower part of the body. Pain felt after walking is known as the spinal stenosis but this can be eased by resting. Different treatments for these conditions are available but the treatment plan is based on how severe or serious the condition is. The treatment plan may be as easy as taking a rest or as complicated as surgical decompression.
4. Lumbar Radiculopathy
A type of nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy is a result of the damages in the discs along the vertebrae. This is usually caused by degeneration or wear and tear of the outer ring of the discs, traumatic injury, or even both. Because of these, the middle portion may rupture or be herniated through the outer ring of the disc and adjacent to the spinal column. The damage in this area causes sciatica pain that can be felt through the legs.
5. Joint and Bone Conditions
These conditions are also known lower back pain causes. Joint and bone conditions are classified into congenital injury or the injury present since birth, degenerative injury caused by the wear and tear of the muscles, tissues, and bones, or injuries resulting from the inflamed joints also known as arthritis. Congenital injuries are further classified into scoliosis and spina bifida. Spondylosis is one of the known degenerative injuries, characterized by the narrowed space between the vertebrae. Arthritis and fractures are also one of the known joint and bone conditions.
The abovementioned lower back pain causes are just a few of the many other causes of lower back pain. Consulting your doctor about any of the known lower back pain symptoms will greatly help you come up with a perfect treatment plan for your condition.