Definition
Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.
African-American men with chronic pain related to an accident, injury, illness, surgery or other causes were more likely to experience depression, affective distress and disability than white men with chronic pain, according to a new study by the University of Michigan Health System
In one study with the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center database for the International Classification of Diseases, African Americans were the most likely to visit their healthcare provider about lower back pain with the highest incident rate at 43.7%.
Causes
There are many causes of back pain. Mechanical problems with the back itself can cause pain.
Examples are:
- Disk breakdown
- Spasms
- Tense muscles
- Ruptured disks
Injuries from sprains, fractures, accidents, and falls can result in back pain. Back pain can also occur with some conditions and diseases, such as:
- Scoliosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Arthritis
- Spinal stenosis
- Pregnancy
- Kidney stones
- Infections
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia.
Other possible causes of back pain are infections, tumors, or stress.
Symptoms
Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.
The symptoms for back pain are:
- Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.
- Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back — especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.
- Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.
- Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.
- Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back.
Exams and Tests
To diagnose back pain, your doctor will take your medical history and do a physical exam. Your doctor may order other tests, such as:
- X rays
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Blood tests.
Medical tests may not show the cause of your back pain. Many times, the cause of back pain is never known. Back pain can get better even if you do not know the cause.
Treatments
Treatment for back pain depends on what kind of pain you have. Acute back pain usually gets better without any treatment, but you may want to take acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen to help ease the pain. Exercise and surgery are not usually used to treat acute back pain. Following are some types of treatments for chronic back pain.
Hot or Cold Packs (or Both)
Hot or cold packs can soothe sore, stiff backs. Heat reduces muscle spasms and pain. Cold helps reduce swelling and numbs