Back Pain
Back pain can range from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp pain that makes it hard to move. It can start quickly if you fall or lift something too heavy, or it can get worse slowly.
Possible causes of back pain include:
1. bending awkwardly or for long periods
2. lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling heavy objects
3. slouching in chairs
4. twisting awkwardly
5. overstretching
6. driving or sitting in a hunched position or for long periods without taking a break
7. overusing the muscles – for example, during sport or repetitive movements (repetitive strain injury)
8. Lifting heavy objects
9. Being overweight
10. Not exercising
11. Smoking
12. Wearing high heels
Certain things can increase your chances of developing back pain. These include:
1. Cauda equina syndrome – the cauda equine is a bundle of spinal nerve roots that arise from the lower end of the spinal cord. People with cauda equine syndrome feel a dull pain in the lower back and upper buttocks, as well as analgesia (lack of feeling) in the buttocks, genitalia and thigh. There are sometimes bowel and bladder function disturbances.
2. Cancer of the spine – a tumor located on the spine may press against a nerve, resulting in back pain.
3. Infection of the spine – if the patient has an elevated body temperature (fever) as well as a tender warm area on the back, it could be caused by an infection of the spine.
4. Sleep disorders – individuals with sleep disorders are more likely to experience back pain, compared to others.
5. Arthritis: This is a joint disease that causes stiffness, swelling, and inflammation.
6. Osteoarthritis : This degenerative joint disease happens when your cartilage and bones break down. This most often affects people from middle age onward.
7. Tumors: In rare cases you can get them in your back. They’re usually spread by a cancer that started somewhere else in your body.
Sources:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Back-pain/Pages/Causes.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/causes-back-pain?page=2
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/172943.php
http://www.niams.nih.gov/health_info/back_pain/back_pain_ff.asp
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/basics/causes/con-20020797
http://www.alexandertechnique.ie
