Every day, millions of Americans face life with nagging back pain.
In fact, the leading cause of disability in those under the age of 45 is back pain. And the underlying cause of back pain isn’t always some mysterious medical condition. There are plenty of reasons you can develop it. So, let’s review a few of the more common causes of back pain and ways to treat it.
Injuries
Injuries of all kinds are one of the most common causes of back pain. Whether you got hurt skiing, playing touch football or getting off the subway, the injury you sustained can come back to haunt you.
Sure, it hurts when it happens and immediately afterward. But even with intensive physical therapy, the pain can return. Maintaining mobility in the injured area, as well as core strength is the best way to treat this type of back pain. Once you’ve hurt your back, it’s up to you to keep it functioning optimally. Sitting on the couch won’t do that.
Biomechanical problems
The way your body works isn’t always the way it should. Some people, for example, are born with asymmetries and imbalance in their physical structures which can lead to back pain. That might be having one leg longer than the other. When this is the case, there’s a cascading effect which is most likely to cause pain in the back.
The feet are another common cause of back pain. When our feet aren’t happy, nothing else will be. And when our feet aren’t happy, our gait is affected and again, can cause pain in the back.
Visiting a physical therapist is the silver bullet to reforming biomechanical issues which may be impacting the health of your back. A physical therapist can help re-educate your body with strengthening exercises. Sessions are always accompanied with this sort of helpful advice. And doing these exercises as prescribed is part of permanently addressing biomechanical issues which may be causing you back pain.
In the case of foot problems, your physical therapist may prescribe orthotic insoles.
Aging
While not many of us have the grace to accept it, aging is inevitable. Our bodies are ground zero for that inevitability.
Part of the aging process is the degeneration of the intervertebral discs. These become dryer, resulting in less protection for your vertebrae. That’s what the discs do. They keep your vertebrae from rubbing together.
While there’s no cure for DDD, there is treatment that can improve your symptoms. You can help your medical professional by following doctor’s orders, educating yourself about the impact of aging on your back and making the right choices when it comes to taking care of it, including upping your water intake. That water in your discs needs to replaced, so replace it!
Spine Consult NJ
At Spine Consult, we’re a team working with a network of clinicians, with the mission of restoring our patients to full function and quality of life.
From conservative through surgical solutions, we take the journey with you. Contact us.