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Low Back Pain - When You Should Visit A Physician
Of all the medical ailments people experience, low back pain is among the most common. However, there are lots of reasons for low back pain. To a lot of peoples' surprise, low back pain is not always caused by lifting something too heavy or a slip and fall. Therefore, let's take a look at some of the reasons for low back pain.
1. Lumbar Muscle Strain
One of the biggest reasons for low back pain is a straining of the lumbar muscles. Many people don't even remember what they did to cause the strain. Not picking up objects properly, sitting without moving for an lengthy period of time, or even recreational sports can all put a strain on your lumbar muscles.
2. Nerve Impingement
In between each of your vertebrae, nerves branch off of your spinal cord and exit into your body. If one or more of your vertebra gets twisted and out of place (i.e. subluxated), this could "pinch" one of your spinal nerves. Pain could then result in the area of the nerve impingement or the pain could follow the path of the nerve and radiate into your body.
3. Arthritis Of The Lumbar Spine
Even though arthritis is most commonly associated with joints in the finger, knees and shoulders, the spine has many articulating joints which are also susceptible to arthritis. Arthritis can be the effect of a past trauma or injury, or it may be simply due to the natural process of growing older.
4. Bulging Disc
Separating each of your vertebrae are discs. In the center of each disc is a gel-like material that acts kind of like a shock absorber. Because of injury or trauma to the spine, discs can become damaged. The gel-like substance can produce a herniation of the disc which resembles a bulge on a defective inner tube of a tire. The bulging disc could then impinge upon the adjacent spinal nerve. In acute cases, a bulging disc can rupture.
Low Back Pain Diagnosis
The good news is that most low back pain goes away on it's own. However, if your back pain remains or gets worse after several days, it's suggested that you see a doctor.
A routine medical examination with fundamental orthopedic tests can help to determine the root of the issue. X-rays are also part of the regular diagnosis protocol. Depending on the findings of the initial exam and tests, an MRI may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment Options
Depending on the severity of the pain, medication, muscle relaxers or a local injection initially may be needed to make the pain tolerable. However, this pain relief is usually only temporary and the pain will recur unless the underlying cause of the problem is treated.
A conservative treatment approach such as physical therapy and/or chiropractic adjustments will quite often correct most low back pain problems. In severe instances where the body does not respond and the pain continues, surgery might be needed to repair the affected area.
When You Should Visit A Doctor
As stated above, low back pain often resolves itself without any medical intervention. However, if your back pain persists for much more than a couple of days or keeps you up at night, it's strongly recommended that you see a doctor for a in depth evaluation to pinpoint the problem, then get appropriate treatment to correct the problem.
About the author: Dr. Fabrizio Di Noto is a primary care doctor that practices in Michigan. If you are suffering from lower back pain and need pain relief for back pain please call his office to schedule an appointment or visit his website at http://www.drfabriziodinoto.com.
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