Back Pain and Strain

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Over 80 percent of Americans suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. This entry addresses lower back pain, the most common of all back problems.

Lower back pain, sometimes called lumbago, is typically concentrated below the waist, in the small of the back, and there the pain, sometimes, but it also can occur after such simple activities as vacuuming, picking sometimes up from the floor, twisting awkwardly, or coughing or even for no apparent reason at all.

It can be experienced as a nagging ache that develops gradually and never quite disappears, or as an instantaneous eruption of agonizing pain. Once the pain begins, you may freeze in position and be reluctant to move for fear of making it worse. The pain is likely to be more bearable when you are standing or lying down and worse when you are sitting, because sitting increases the pressure on the back muscles.

Many people assume an aching back is an inevitable part of growing older, but that isn't necessary so. It is true that advancing age and certain conditions account for some backaches, but most are caused by stress, muscle spasms, and / or muscular weakness.

This condition most often strikes people in their thirties and may then recur off and on, for the rest of their lives. "Weekend athletes" people who get significant exercise only occasionally are particularly at risk. People who live sedentary lives, whether by choice or because their occupations keep them chained to a desk during the week, are usually out of shape. An occasional game of basketball with friends, a run around the park, or a friendly set of tennis can trigger painful muscle spasm as lax muscles are pushed to perform athletic feats and cannot respond adequately.

Lower back pain can also be linked to sleeping in a bed that is too soft, sitting for too long in a poorly designed chair, or spending long hours behind the wheel driving a bus fro example. This type of back pain is sometimes called posture pain. Other common factors in back pain include pregnancy and obesity. People carrying extra weight tend to have weaker abdominal muscles, which puts added strain on the back muscles. Stress has been identified as a major factor in back pain as well.

While most back pain is muscular in nature, there are a number of other conditions that can cause this kind of pain. These include disorders of the kidneys and problems with the bones, disks, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and joins of the spine. If back pain does not begin to improve within a few days, see your doctor.

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