Common Causes of Lower Back Pain
John | January 26, 2012Functions of your lower back (or lumbar area) include movement, structural support, and protection for your upper body. Although there may be several causes of lower back pain, common causes of this type of pain range from herniated discs to degenerative disc disease. In the U.S., lower back pain is perhaps the most common reason for doctor visits. It is said that 9 out of 10 people will suffer from lower back pain at some point in their lives. This type of back pain can be classified in two ways, acute back pain and chronic back pain. Acute lower back pain is usually short term. You may experience this one to two days or even a week, but it can lead to a more serious problem if left untreated. Chronic lower back pain is more serious and painful, and can last for months. It is often difficult for doctors to pinpoint the reason for your pain.
The causes of lower back pain are numerous, but the most usual ones are:
- Overuse of joints, ligaments and muscles.
- Injury or minor accident.
- The nerve roots in your spinal canal are experiencing pressure due to osteoarthritis, herniated disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal deformities and fractures.
- Compression fracture, which is common on pregnant women and to people with osteophorosis.
- Ankylosing spondylitis which is an arthritis of the spine
- Bacterial infection caused by bacteria being brought to the spine through the bloodstream
There are lower back pain symptoms that may need serious medical treatment like surgery. These can include:
- Dysfunction of the bladder and/or bowel changes
- Progressive weakening of the legs
- Continuous severe pain in the abdomen and lower back
You should seek medical treatment if, aside from the above mentioned symptoms, you have fever, chills, a history of cancer among family and relatives, or rapid weight loss. It is always important to see your doctor, but don’t forget to consider Chiropractic care. Some of these symptoms can be treated with an adjustment.

