Low back pain is an extremely common problem that most people experience at some point in their life. At any one time, around 1 in 5 adults will report symptoms of low back pain, rising to 40% when asked if they have experienced symptoms during the previous month. The majority of people who experience an episode of low back pain will improve over time. However a sizeable proportion experience repeated episodes or recurrences, and some report continuous symptoms for many years. A wide range of factors are linked to both the onset and persistence of low back pain.
Low back pain : what is lower back pain means?
An estimated 2.06 million episodes of low back pain occurred among a population at risk of over 1.48 billion person-years for an incidence rate of 1.39 per 1,000 person-years in the United States. Low back pain accounted for 3.15% of all emergency visits.
Lumbar pain, also known as lumbago, represents between 80% and 90% of the reasons for consultation in osteopathy " confirms Adrien Ezine, osteopath . And they affect both men and women, children and the elderly! Lumbago , for example, is characterized by pain in the lower back after a wrong movement or intense effort.
Do you have lower back pain ? It is surely a low back pain ... and it is very (very) common.
When you suffer from low back pain, you have pain in the 5 lumbar vertebrae, which are located between the top of the buttocks and the natural arch of the back - the famous "fall of the kidneys".
" At the origin of back pain, there is a muscle: the illiac psoas which connects the lumbar vertebrae to the hips and the hips to the pelvis like a rope , explains the specialist. When this muscle is spasmed (it is that is: when it is abnormally contracted, when we "pull" too much on the rope), it causes severe pain in the lower back - this is low back pain. "
Lower back pain: The mechanisms of pain
Initially, there is most often an anatomical lesion of the intervertebral disc, such as tear or degeneration, caused or aggravated by the carrying of too heavy loads or the repetition of movements.
The posterior part of the intervertebral disc can be damaged and this lesion stimulates small nerves which spread painful impulses to muscles, ligaments and nerves. The neck pain can thus be irradiated into the shoulder, elbow, hand or the shoulder blades and a lumbar disorder cause pain in the calves .
When this pain persists for more than six weeks, it becomes chronic: it is often less intense, but does not give the sufferer much respite.
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Lower back pain: symptoms that should lead to a prompt consultation
Reality, low back pain is not a disease but a symptom. Due to the complex anatomy of the lumbar spine and the multiple causes of lower back pain , symptoms accompanying low back pain can vary widely from person to person.
If lower back pain comes on suddenly and manifests as a sudden and intense contraction of the muscles , it is usually a sign of muscle damage, a ligament sprain, or a ruptured or displaced disc. This type of pain typically occurs after a "wrong move" or after carrying a heavy load.
When the pain goes down the posterior part of one or both legs , it may be sciatic neuralgia, that is, a "pinching" of the sciatic nerve. The pain is then exacerbated by coughing, sneezing or straining. This type of pain can also be a sign of a herniated disc.
If the pain in the lower back is more severe at night , it may be caused by pressure from inflammation , a diseased organ, or a tumor.
It is recommended that you consult a doctor very quickly if your low back pain results from a fall or a violent impact on your back (risk of fracture). Also see if your pain is very severe, cannot be relieved by analgesics available without a prescription, increases in intensity during the night and / or if it is accompanied by the following symptoms:
fever,
chills,
inexplicable weight loss,
intestinal disorders (e.g .: diarrhea ),
chest pain
urinary disorders (e.g. difficulty urinating, urinary incontinence ),
loss of feeling in the genitals and / or legs.
Lower back pain: what are the most common causes?
Generally, acute low back pain is due to a benign lesion of a muscle, a ligament or a tendon. The displacement of a vertebra can also be involved: in this case, it may be difficult to perform certain movements and to straighten up. Sometimes, the origin of the low back pain is very clear, because the pain manifested itself immediately after a wrong movement or carrying a too heavy load ...
However, it is often impossible to determine with precision what triggered the low back pain : this does not matter, because in this type of case, one limits oneself to relieving the symptoms while waiting for the healing of the lesion.
If back pain can have a multitude of origins, " low back pain is often linked to carrying a load with poor posture " says the osteopath. For example :
lift a heavy box, a shopping bag, a child ... without bending the knees,
carry a heavy load (shopping bag, stack of plates, jug of water, etc.) at arm's length.
" The pain does not necessarily occur immediately: it can appear the next day or weeks later, thanks to a 'wrong movement' (leaning forward suddenly, for example) ".
Another possible cause: our bad habits! " People who sit all day in a posture that is not good (feet that are not on the ground, back that is not straight ...) are at risk of developing low back pain. " , the pain is not immediate: it can occur years later.
Lower back pain: other possible causes
Lower back pain does not necessarily have a mechanical cause. They can also be linked to:
visceral causes: constipation , period pains ... which "pull" on the spine,
overweight or obesity ( body mass index greater than 25 or 30),
a sprain, a microfracture ... poorly treated, which leads to a disruption of the posture causing lower back pain,
arthritis or osteoarthritis (there is lumbar osteoarthritis),
the stress...
Some studies have related age and gender to low back pain, but the link overall is equivocal. Work-related factors such as heavy lifting, and socio-demographic factors such as smoking and obesity have been linked with the onset of low back pain.
High levels of functional impairment and the presence of pain radiating to the leg have been cited as factors associated with a poor prognosis among primary care consulters with low back pain.
Other characteristics associated with both the development and the persistence of low back pain include psychological factors such as depression and anxiety and workplace factors such as job satisfaction.
Lower back pain: is low back pain common?
Low back pain is not uncommon: health experts estimate that 66% to 75% of people will suffer from low back pain at least once in their life. Good news: it is estimated that 90% of low back pain heals without seeking a doctor. On the other hand, 10% to 23% of low back pain last more than three months ... It is then absolutely necessary to make an appointment with your doctor!
Low back pain would also represent the first occupational disease . The following are particularly affected: people who carry out handling work. Indeed, manual handling actions (understand: lifting a heavy cardboard box, a flower pot, an imposing piece of furniture, etc.) are the leading cause of low back pain in the workplace ...
People who exercise a sedentary job are not spared from low back pain either: thus, in the event of bad posture while sitting in front of the computer (the feet which are not placed on the ground, the back which is not straight ... .), you can develop lower back pain!
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