Lower Back Pain Causes - Knowing the Common Causes

Many people have experienced lower back pain at least once in their lifetime. Luckily, there are known lower back pain causes that can be one by one ruled out with the help of a medical professional. The availability of information makes it easier to find treatment, so read on and know more about the different causes of lower back pain.

Lower back pain causes such as nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy, bony encroachment, lumbar strain, and joints and bone conditions are some of the reasons you feel pain in your lower back. All these lower back pain causes will be discussed in this article.

1. Nerve Irritation

Being one of lower back pain causes, nerve irritation can cause the sufferer too much pain because any disease along the path of nerves can irritate the lumbar spine. This can occur anywhere from the spinal cord roots to the skin surface. This condition is often associated with different back pain diseases such as lumbar disc disease, bony encroachment, and nerve inflammation.

2. Lumbar Strain

Being one of lower back pain causes, a lumbar strain can be very painful as it is the result of a stretching injury that occurred in the lower back muscle ligaments and tendons, thereby causing different degrees of microscopic degeneration in the affected tissues. This condition is often caused by trauma, overuse, or improper use. Lumbar strain is classified into two types: acute lumbar strain which means that the lower back pain has been felt by the patient for days or weeks while chronic lumbar strain has been felt for more than three months already.

3. Bony Encroachment

Bony encroachment results from movement in or growth of the vertebrae in the lumbar spine, thereby limiting the space for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves. This condition is one of the main lower back pain causes as it is caused by any of the following:

Spondylolisthesis

Spinal stenosis

and foraminal narrowing

The three above conditions cause sciatica pain with extreme pain radiating down to the lower extremities. Spinal stenosis is very painful especially when walking but this pain can relieved by resting. These conditions have different treatments depending on their severity. The treatments can be as simple as taking some rest or as complex as surgical decompression which involves bone removal.

4. Lumbar Radiculopathy

A type of nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy is a result of the damages in the discs along the vertebrae. This is usually caused by degeneration or wear and tear of the outer ring of the discs, traumatic injury, or even both. Because of these, the middle portion may rupture or be herniated through the outer ring of the disc and adjacent to the spinal column. The damage in this area causes sciatica pain that can be felt through the legs.

5. Joint and Bone Conditions

These conditions are also known lower back pain causes. Joint and bone conditions are classified into congenital injury or the injury present since birth, degenerative injury caused by the wear and tear of the muscles, tissues, and bones, or injuries resulting from the inflamed joints also known as arthritis. Congenital injuries are further classified into scoliosis and spina bifida. Spondylosis is one of the known degenerative injuries, characterized by the narrowed space between the vertebrae. Arthritis and fractures are also one of the known joint and bone conditions.

The above mentioned lower back pain causes are just a few of the many other causes of lower back pain. Consulting your doctor about any of the known lower back pain symptoms will greatly help you come up with a perfect treatment plan for your condition.