Back Pain
Pain that is located in the back. It is felt on the spine, and it can be from the neck down to the hips. The lower back is the commonest site reported (lumbago). In most cases, (more than 90%) the cause is not serious, and it resolves with moderate management within 1 to 3 weeks.
The pain may be a dull ache or a shooting pain that sometimes progress into the arms, hand, legs and feet. If there is numbness, it may be serious and hence, will require an urgent visit to the hospital.
Background
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Back pain will affect more than 85% of adults during their lifetime. It is the most common cause of persistent and chronic pain, and it is the reason that a lot of people are absent from work or are registered disabled
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It can be as a result of many different factors that include:
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Wear and Tear of the Spine
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Slipped disc
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Sciatica (Nerve compression)
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Pain coming from diseases of the Internal organs that are close to the spine
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Although back pain cases are mostly without a reason to panic, 1 out of every 100 cases can be very serious, and will be as a result of cancer, a serious infection, or a damaging compression to lower part of the spinal cord and nerves (cauda equina)
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When one experiences back pain, the condition can be helped by observing the following:
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Stay as active as possible
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Try to maintain your daily activities, as much as you can tolerate
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Take simple analgesia like anti-inflammatory ibuprofen if you are safe to do so
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Cold and hot compression packs are usually helpful
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In order to prevent a recurrence of back pain, one should observe the following:
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Regular exercises - Swimming, Walking, Pilates and Yoga
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Reduced sitting times
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Extreme care with heavy load lifting
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Good posture using computers or watching television
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Good body weight control (BMI)
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Impact on General Wellbeing
Back pain can be debilitating to the physical and mental wellbeing of the individual
Physical
Draining
Stressful
Healthy
Boosting
Mental
Draining
Stressful
Healthy
Boosting
Draining
Stressful
Lifestyle
Healthy
Boosting
Caution
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Prolonged rest may worsen the pain
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Pain that does not improve even after a few weeks should be discussed with a health care giver
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Beware of 'Red Flag' symptoms that sometimes accompany back pain: They may point towards a serious cause:
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Numbness or tingling around buttocks and genitals
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Loss of bladder control or bowel control, wetting or 'pooing' yourself
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Fever (High Temperature)
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Weight loss
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Back pain in steroid users
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Back pain in Intravenous drug users
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History of cancer
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Back swelling with back pain
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Difficulty peeing
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Worse at night
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Pain happens after injury, trauma or accident
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Opioids may cause constipation and make the back pain worse
Benefits
The challenges of Back Pain provides an opportunity for the sufferer to:
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Adjust and continually monitor their body posture
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Discuss with employers on the need to provide ergonomic furniture at the workplace or home
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Have an incentive for weight management
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Reduce heavy lifting activities that are unhealthy for the back and wellbeing
Applicable Remedies >
Further Reading