Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments Q&A

There are millions of Americans suffering from chronic back pain. Many factors can contribute to it, and it’s the leading cause of disability among those younger than 45. The main cause of back pain is often an issue with how your spinal joints, discs, muscles, and nerves fit together and move.
 
There are many times when back pain develops without a clear diagnosis based on a test or imaging study. Individuals who experience back pain may have several reasons for doing so.
 
A sudden awkward movement or repeated heavy lifting can strain back muscles and spinal ligaments. Constant strain on the back can cause painful muscle spasms in people with poor physical condition.
 
The disks in the spine serve as cushions between the bones. There is a possibility that the soft material within a disk can burst or rupture and irritate a nerve. It is possible, however, for a bulging or ruptured disk not to cause back pain. A spinal X-Ray, CT scan, or MRI that is performed for another reason can reveal disk disease.
 
The lower back can be affected by osteoarthritis. Spinal stenosis occurs when the space around the spinal cord narrows because of arthritis in the spine. During osteoporosis, the spine’s vertebrae can become porous and brittle, leading to painful breaks.

There is a wide range of severity when it comes to acute pain, and it can last anywhere from a few hours to four weeks. In most cases, acute pain is triggered by specific events or injuries, such as lifting a heavy box, falling down, or bending wrong while doing yard work. When muscles heal or swelling subsides, acute pain usually goes away. It depends on the severity of the pain, whether it interferes with your daily activities and whether you should see a doctor.
 
The duration of subacute pain can range from four to twelve weeks. During this time, it is recommended to schedule a preliminary doctor’s appointment to determine whether the problem will heal on its own or if it is likely to cause chronic pain.
 
Pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks is considered chronic. Some people experience stabbing pain, while others experience a constant dull ache or flare-ups. Chronic pain has the potential to debilitate a person and negatively impact their mental health if left untreated. There is often difficulty diagnosing the cause of chronic pain. It is possible to experience chronic pain even after your body has healed from an obvious injury. In some cases, there is no obvious source of pain, so symptom management becomes the goal.

It is important to remember that everyone’s pain is unique and will respond to treatment differently. Back pain treatment will be determined by its cause, location, and severity, as well as what causes or exacerbates it. Self-care techniques can often relieve acute back pain, which usually resolves within a few days to a few weeks as a result of home treatment. More serious back pain can be treated with various techniques such as physical therapy, massage therapy, and acupuncture depending on each patient’s specific needs.

Whenever you think your back pain is chronic or acute, if it lasts longer than two weeks without improving, we strongly recommend you seek medical attention. In general, it takes a few weeks for acute back pain to go away. Chronic pain, however, usually does not improve without medical treatment. Although home remedies and short-term back pain treatments provide temporary relief, they don’t address the underlying causes of chronic pain.
 
Back pain treatment is available at InovoSpine. For more information, contact us or book an online appointment. We are located at 1140 Business Center Dr, Suite 110, Houston TX 77043. We serve patients from Houston TX, Hedwig Village TX, Meadows Place TX, Missouri City TX, Hunters Creek Village TX, Spring Valley Village TX, and surrounding areas.