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.
Injuries or diseases in the muscles, spinal nerves, and bones are some of the reasons or factors that trigger acute lower back pain. It could also be triggered by abnormalities in the chest, abdomen, pelvis, or other organs, all of which are characterized by the pain in the back. Lower back pain may also be caused by bladder infections, ovarian disorders, pelvic infections, aneurysm, appendicitis, kidney diseases, and other intra-abdominal disorders. Even pregnant women can experience acute lower back pain. Back pain in pregnancy is due to irritation of the nerves, strain and pressure placed on the lower back, and stretching of the pelvis ligaments. All these are important factors that will help in the evaluation and diagnosis of your condition.
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.
Those given in this article are just a few of the factors or reasons you have acute lower back pain. However, it is still best to seek medical attention when any of the above symptoms manifest in your body.
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