| Lower Back Pain | |
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Eight out of ten Americans will experience a backache at some point. Back pain is the second most common reason for doctor visits in the U.S. The causes of lower back pain are numerous. Some of the more common causes of lower back pain are:
- Sudden injury to the back such as may occur in an auto accident, fall, sports, or other manner.
- Gynecological conditions such as endometriosis, menstrual cramps, fibroid tumors, and pregnancy are sometimes the cause of lower back pain in women.
- Stress to the muscles, nerves, or ligaments in the lower back.
- Certain jobs such as those that require repetitive movements, sitting in chairs that are not ergonomically proper for your back, or standing for long periods of time often increase back stress and cause lower back pain.
- Arthritis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other bone or joint diseases often cause lower back pain.
- Not getting enough physical activity, being sedentary, or being overweight often stresses the lower back causing pain.
- Slipped discs, pinched nerves, sciatica, aging, and infections are other common causes of lower back pain.
- Smoking. More than 1300 physicians were followed from time of graduation (1948-1964) from John Hopkins University, some for over fifty years. The researchers found that smoking history, hypertension, and coronary artery disease (risk factors for atherosclerosis, occlusion of the arteries) are significantly associated with development of lower back pain.
Because there are so many causes of lower back pain, some serious such as spinal tumors, if you experience lower back pain see your health care provider for diagnosis. If your lower back pain is sudden and severe and it is not during your provider's office hours, go immediately to your local hospital emergency room.
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~ Tracee Cornforth
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