Back pain

Back pain is a common symptom in which a patient can feel the pain in the back of the body and the origin of the pain can be from any of the spine portions such as the neck, upper and/or lower back or in the coccyx or the tail bone of the terminal spine. Back pain  is medically termed as Dorsalgia and it is very common worldwide. In the United States, one in five people complain back pain during their hospital/Physician visit. Most of the symptoms of back pain are acute and in some cases such as lumbar compression, cancer, herniated or protruded discs, the symptoms may persist for a longer duration and these problems need medical interventions.

Causes of back pain

Some of the factors that can contribute to back pain are cervical or lumbar or sacral bone compression, lumbar herniation, discprolapse, malnutrition, poor stature and posture in work environment and walking and/or standing, degenerative changes or calcification in the discs, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and some of the psychological factors. Also, previous medical history of traumatic injury can also cause back pain.

Symptoms of back pain

• Pain starts gradually and becomes intense
• Pain or discomfort while sitting
• Pain upon bending or standing in the same position for sometime
• Onset of back pain while driving a car
• Numbness in the lower extremities
• Stiffness-like sensation in the affected area that may spread to other parts.
• Intense pain while waking up in the morning.

Diagnosis of back pain

Back pain needs to be differentially diagnosed from other medical conditions with similar symptoms. But in some cases such as non-discogenic problems, these radiological examinations are not useful and disease-specific diagnosis should be done to identify the exact cause and origin of the disease. Some of the common diagnostic tests for back pain are:

• X-ray of the lumbar or cervical spine to diagnose the degenerative changes
• CT or MRI of the affected Spinal bone(s)

Treatment options for back pain

The drugs to treat back pain are NSAIDS and analgesics such as acetaminophen, centrally acting opioids, pain killers and muscle relaxants. Other non-pharmacological approaches such as hot water pack application, water bath and yoga-like exercise, ayurvedic massage, good posture and general exercise are reported to be useful in patients with back pain. 

Prognosis

In most of the cases, back pain can be managed well and most of the symptoms will subside by medications, maintaining good posture, exercise, physical therapy and lifestyle alterations. If the underlying cause of the back pain is cancer or disc protrusion, a surgical and other medical procedure may be required. Usually, most of the patients with back pain can be treated effectively with simple analgesic and anti-spasmodic medications.

Prevention

The incidence of back pain can be prevented by maintaining good posture in day-to-day tasks such as walking, avoiding heavy object lifting and climbing on the stairs, avoiding sitting directly in the opposite side of the air condition, avoiding wearing footwear with high-heels, instead of abrupt bending trying to sit down slowly and taking the objects on the floor. By these simple ways, you can avoid Back Pain up to 90%.

When to see a doctor

If you experience abnormal and persistent pain in the neck, lower or upper back or if you cannot do the daily tasks including standing in the same position for a while, bending, pain in the back while driving a vehicle or if your symptoms persist or worsen even after you took your medications, you should get medical attention immediately.

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