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Acute Lower Back Pain Helpful Info and Tips

30th July, 2010 - Posted by health news - No Comments

Acute lower back pain is one of the most common complaints of people, with 8 out of 10 Americans experiencing it and 4 out of these 8 experienced it more than once in their lifetime. According to experts, acute lower back pain is a symptom and not a disease. It occurs because some reasons or incidences happened thereby triggering the pain to attack. The studies further showed that no specific cause was identified in around 70% of the people known to suffer from lower back pain. Go on reading as you discover the different things that trigger the pain to attack.

Lower Back Pain Causes

Some of the reasons why a person experiences acute lower back pain are injuries or diseases in bones, muscles, and spinal nerves. The pain caused by organ abnormalities within the pelvis, abdomen, or chest may also be experienced in the back. Different intra-abdominal disorders such as kidney diseases, appendicitis, aneurysm, pelvic infections, ovarian disorders, bladder infections, and others can cause lower back pain. Even normal pregnancy can cause acute lower back pain in many ways, such as stretching pelvis ligaments, straining the lower back, and irritating nerves. All these will be considered by your doctor as he evaluates your pain.

Nerve impingement, a condition caused by ruptured or herniated disc between the lower back bones, may be characterized by symptoms including acute lower back pain. One example of this condition is called sciatica, manifested by acute lower back pain together with other symptoms like numbness in the area of the leg where the affected nerve supplies blood. Spondylosis, a condition caused by the decrease in the disc height and loss of moisture and volume of the interverterbral discs due to aging, may also be characterized by acute lower back pain. Other cases that may be characterized by this symptom include minor physical trauma from similar circumstances.

Spinal stenosis may also be characterized by lower back pain symptoms, with pain running down to both lower extremities especially when walking or standing for a long time. Another reason for acute lower back pain is a medical emergency called cauda equine syndrome. This condition occurs when there is a direct compression of the spinal cord. Myofascial pain is also associated with back pain symptoms including tenderness in localized areas, immobility of the muscle groups involved, as well as a type of pain restricted to the peripheral nerves.

Other reasons for acute lower back pain include fibromyalgia, osteomyelitis, nerve inflammation, and tumors. Fibromyalgia causes tenderness and pain throughout the body, fatigue, generalized stiffness, muscle aches, and lower back pain. Osteomyelitis is the infection of the spinal bones, which causes pain and stiffness in the spine. Tumors, especially cancerous tumors are also considered a source of acute lower back pain. Inflammation of spinal nerves occurs when the spinal nerves are infected with the virus called herpes zoster. This virus causes shingles in the spine and can affect the lower back area thereby causing lower back pain and the thoracic area thereby causing upper back pain.

The conditions mentioned above are some of the factors that trigger acute lower back pain. It is never right to make assumptions, so if you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above, consult with your doctor immediately.