Why Do I Have So Much Back Pain

What Are The Types Of Back Pain

Back pain is categorized in a number of ways by medical professionals. You can describe your back pain by its location: upper, middle or lower back pain thats on the left side, center or right side. You may also define different types of pain to your healthcare provider. Is your pain mild, moderate or severe? Is the pain a broad ache or a smaller sharp stab? Also, back pain can be categorized by how long it lasts. An acute episode is one that is sudden and brief, and often related to an injury. Chronic/persistent means your back pain has lasted more than three to six months.

How To Relieve Back Pain After Waking Up

While morning back pain is often harmless and attributed to bad sleeping posture , its important to see a doctor if you wake up with extreme pain. However, if your back pain is caused by an injury or pre-existing condition, there are steps you can take before heading out the door:

Try Heat: A morning hot pack or shower can loosen up your back and get you ready for the day.

Take a Painkiller: Acetaminophen reduces morning pain, while ibuprofen helps reduce inflammation in the morning, so it doesnt get worse throughout the morning.

Exercise Your Way Out of It: While light exercise may be difficult first thing, low back stretches may help relieve morning pain.

Symptoms Of Back Pain

Back pain can range from local pain in a specific spot to generalized pain spreading all over the back. Sometimes the pain radiates away from the back to other areas of your body, such as the buttocks, legs, or abdomen. The intensity of back pain varies for each person. Depending on the type, cause, and location of your back pain, you may experience:

• Increasing pain with lifting and bending.
• Worsening pain when resting, sitting, or standing.
• Back pain that comes and goes.
• Stiffness in the morning when awakening and lessened back pain with activity.
• Pain that radiates away from the back into the buttocks, leg, or hip.

You should see a doctor if your pain does not improve after a few weeks or if any of the following symptoms happen with your back pain:

• Numbness and tingling.
• Severe back pain that does not improve with medication .
• Back pain after a fall or injury.
• Back pain along with:
• Weakness, pain, or numbness in your legs.

You May Like: How To Get Your Lower Back To Stop Hurting

Is It A Mechanical Problem

In many cases, the pain happens when parts of the back — the spine, joints, tissues, muscles, and the discs that cushion the spinal bones — are out of sync. If your back isnât feeling quite right, have your doctor check for:

Herniated or slipped discs: The bones of your spine are cushioned by discs, often referred to as âshock absorbers.â When they wear down, the soft tissue between them begins to squeeze out. This is when you start to feel it — especially if they rupture. It can happen if youâve had a sudden injury, or because of simple wear and tear.

Bulging discs: The stuff inside your discs âbulges,â but not as much as with a herniated disc. They often cause no symptoms on their own, but they can bring pain if the disc pushes up against a nerve root.

Degenerative disc disease: The discs that separate your vertebrae wear down. This sometimes causes the bones to rub together. Age is usually the reason, but sports and injuries can be culprits, too.

Inflammation and movement problems of the sacroiliac joint: This joint sits at the bottom of the spine, on either side of the pelvis. It transfers the weight of your upper body to your lower body. This can start to bother you after youâve been injured, if you have an infection, if you have arthritis, or if youâre pregnant. Abnormal movement, such as too much movement of the joint, can also cause long-term pain.

Osteoarthritis: This is when your cartilage and bone begin to break down and there is inflammation.

When Are Diagnostic Tests For Lower Back Pain Necessary

Many patients do not need X-rays in the first few weeks of pain because their pain will end up resolving. Many more do not need CT scans or MRI imaging, which are overly sensitive and often reveal abnormalities not related to the patients pain. These forms of imaging can be extremely useful, however, if a person has chronic or severe pain, and/or neurological symptoms. Blood tests may be ordered if an infection or tumor is suspected.

You May Like: What Supplements Are Good For Back Pain

Change Up Your Sleep Position Or Mattress

Switching to a more supportive sleep position can reduce lower back pain. Also consider how you can use pillows or invest in a new mattress to support better spinal alignment and relieve lower back pain.

Research suggests medium firm mattresses are the best mattresses for back pain. In one study of people with low back pain, those who slept on medium firm mattresses reported lower pain scores both during sleep and upon getting up in the morning.

Chronic Low Back Pain Of No Specific Origin

Low back pain is defined as pain, tightness, and stiffness between the lower end of the rib cage and the buttocks. Chronic means the pain has lasted for twelve weeks or longer, and no specific origin means the pain cannot be traced to any specific cause, incident, or injury.

Most susceptible are individuals who perform heavy physical work, especially when there is ongoing anxiety, depression, and emotional stress at the same time. The longer the stress and back pain continue, the more difficult it is to ease the symptoms and return the patient to normal functioning.

Treatment involves nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and sometimes opioid medications for pain, though both have risks when used long term. Antidepressants may also be tried, along with psychological counseling.

Corticosteroid injections for the back are effective for some patients, and fusion surgery is sometimes attempted. Lifestyle changes in the form of improved diet, exercise, and stress management are very helpful in most cases.

Rarity: Common

Top Symptoms: lower back pain, unintentional weight loss, back pain that shoots to the butt, fever, involuntary defecation

Symptoms that always occur with chronic low back pain of no specific origin: lower back pain

Symptoms that never occur with chronic low back pain of no specific origin: thigh numbness, buttocks numbness, lower back pain from an injury

Urgency: Primary care doctor

You May Like: What Weed Is Good For Back Pain

What Does It Mean If Lower Back Pain Is Shooting Into Legs

Lower back pain can radiate to other parts of the body: up or down from its place of origin. Sometimes lower back pain can be on one side of the back, which is also normal.

If the pain is shooting from the lower back into one or both legs, it could be sciatica , but its not always the case. There are many parts in the lower back that may cause the pain to radiate into the legs, such as facet joints, sacroiliac joints, muscles or inflammation of the bursa.

What To Do For Chronic Backpain Can You Get Pain Relief Without Surgery

Surgery can be an effective option for long-term pain relief. But theres not a lot of data to support that surgery is the best solution for curing back pain.

Generally, surgery is only recommended after non-surgical treatment options have stopped working.

The best treatment for chronic back pain is movement, which may sound weird. When your back hurts, you usually think its time to take it easy. So, you avoid certain activities or movements because you think it will help you heal faster.

But the less you move the more youll experience that muscle deconditioning and your pain will probably get worse.

So, how do you heal your chronic back pain? You need ongoing active physical therapy.

Read Also: How To Release Lower Back Tension

When Should I See A Doctor For Lower Back Pain

If your back pain does not resolve within 6-12 weeks, you should see your primary care doctor. They may refer you to physical therapy or to an orthopedist. With doctor approval, massage therapy might also be a benefit.

There are also a few red flags you need to be aware of to understand whether or not your back pain might be a more serious issue. If you…

• Have back pain associated with serious trauma
• Have cancer or have a history of cancer
• Have trouble going to the bathroom or cant hold your urine or stool
• Are experiencing neurological dysfunction like leg weakness or numbness
• Lose sensation around the groin area
• Have a fever in associated with your back pain

…its best to seek emergency care ASAP.

But again, unless youre experiencing any of these symptoms, you can take a breath. Try to give your lower back some R& R, and if youre really worried, your primary care physician can guide you on your next best steps.

Related Story

You’re Having Problems With Your Bowels Or Urination

If your back pain is paired with a loss of control over your bowels or urination, then it’s time to seek help immediately at a local emergency room. These symptoms point to cauda equina syndrome, where the nerves in the lower spine have become paralyzed. While rare, this syndrome can be permanently damaging to the nerves if left untreated. If you experience these symptoms, especially accompanied by numbness in the legs, then you may need surgery to decompress the nerves and preserve their overall function.

Learn More: About urinary incontinence

Read Also: What Muscles Are In Your Lower Back

What Does Middle Back Pain Feel Like

When experiencing middle back pain, you feel a pinching and stitching pain around your thoracic spine it’s the place under your ribs. This type of pain can surround your chest and rib area, and you may also feel aches and pain in the heart. It usually radiates from the thoracic spine and can spread all over your back, including the upper and lower back regions.

Sleep Tips For Back Pain Relief

Your mattress isnt the only factor in relieving back pain while you sleep. How you sleep matters, too. Your sleeping position, sleep quality, and more can make a difference in back pain when you wake up. Consider these tips for improving the way you sleep:

Call any of our offices located in , , or today to find out if chiropractic adjustments can help you wake up pain-free!

OUR LOCATIONS:

Don’t Miss: How To Use An Inversion Table For Lower Back Pain

Complementary Alternative Emerging Treatments

In some cases, doctors suggest therapies that are not considered current standard of care. They probably wont be covered by insurance, but they may be worth considering. Examples include:

. PRP treatments use a small sample of your own blood that has concentrated amounts of blood building blocks known as platelets. Your doctor then injects the PRP directly into a damaged disc. The theory is that PRP injections use your own healing system to accelerate improvement of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints.

PRP treatment has a longer track record in knee osteoarthritis, but a recent review article in the Journal of Spine Surgery suggests it may have a useful role for back pain, too. PRP needs a lot more research before it can be considered a proven technique.

In this emerging treatment, your doctor injects stem cells harvested from your hip into the intervertebral disc or discs causing your pain. Doing so may lessen pain and the degenerative effects of aging, though, like PRP, more research is needed before stem cells for lower back pain could eventually become the standard of care.

. Your doctor probably doesnt perform acupuncture , but may support you trying it as a complementary therapy. Acupuncture involves careful insertion of fine, sterile needles into specific points on your body. This may stimulate the release of your natural pain-killing chemicals.

More on this topic

When To Seek Medical Attention For Back Pain

Most episodes of lower back pain eventually resolve on their own, but there are times when you should seek urgent medical attention. Some of these situations include:

• Patient is a child

• Weakness, numbness and/or tingling sensations develop in the legs and/or feet

• Loss of bladder or bowel control

• Pain is severe, constant, suddenly or progressively worsens, and/or doesnt go away

• Pain interrupts sleep

While some situations may warrant immediate intervention, most cases are not urgent and can be scheduled at a time convenient for the patient.

Also Check: Is Hybrid Mattress Good For Back Pain

What Questions Might A Healthcare Provider Ask To Help Diagnose Back Pain

Your healthcare provider will ask if you injured yourself, how long youve had back pain and how severe your pain is. They need to know other medical problems you have and what medications you take. If you have family members who have had similar issues, let your provider know. They might also ask questions such as:

• Are you able to work every day?
• Does what you do for a living involve lifting?
• Do any of your hobbies aggravate your back pain?
• Do you have any other symptoms?
• Where is your pain located?
• How does the pain affect your daily activities?
• What at-home treatments have you tried?

How To Get Out Of Bed

To get out of bed safely:

Alternatively:

Don’t Miss: How To Relieve Lower Back Pain From Scoliosis

Signs That Its Time To Call A Doctor For Your Back Pain

Most people have experienced back pain at some point in their lives. Its actually the leading cause of disability worldwide and the most common reason people call out of work. Back pain can come in many different forms, ranging from a dull ache that lasts only a few days to severe pain that lasts for weeks.

Depending on the intensity of the pain, there are many treatments you can try at home to help. But how do you know when its time to stop home remedies and see a physician?

If any of the following applies to your back pain, then its time to make an appointment with a doctor as soon as possible.

What Type Of Doctor Should I See For Back Pain

This depends on your condition or symptoms. If you have no obvious injury that would explain your pain, you may want to start by seeing a . This is a specialist in physical medicine who can diagnose back pain and determine whether nonsurgical treatments such as physical therapy may help. Depending on those findings, a physiatrist may also refer you to a , doctor or other type of back specialist, , for additional discussion.

You May Like: What Do You Do For Severe Lower Back Pain

Can Lower Back Pain Be A Sign Of Something Serious Like Cancer

Lower back pain can be related to cancer. In fact, it is one of the first symptoms of prostate cancer when it metastasizes and creates lesions. Almost any cancer can spread to the back and some, like sarcoma, can originate in the back. Be cautious, especially if you are experiencing other symptoms besides lower back pain. Talk to your doctor if you have additional symptoms or concerns.

What Are Some Common Causes Of Lower Back Pain

Arthritis of the spine the slow degeneration of the spinal joints is the most frequent cause of lower back pain. All of us experience wear and tear as we age, and it is normal for your lower back to start acting up as you get older. As the cartilage breaks down between the spinal joints, surrounding tissues may become inflamed. The inflammation and the thinning of cartilage increase friction in the joints, which may cause pain in the lower back.

Recommended Reading: How Can I Cure My Back Pain

About Orthopaedic & Spine Center Of The Rockies

The physicians and staff of the Orthopaedic & Spine Center of the Rockies have taken great pleasure in serving the people of northern Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska since our founding in 1969.

Our orthopaedic surgeons have advanced training or board certification in surgery of the back and neck, hand and upper extremity , hip, knee, shoulder, foot and ankle, orthopaedic trauma, and joint replacements.

Contact one of our locations today to set up your appointment with one of our award-winning surgeons! Visit our website for more information on back pain and available treatments.

Home Remedies For Lower Back Pain When Sitting

In addition to improving your posture when sitting, try these at-home remedies for lower back pain:

• Change your position. Consider a standing desk or one thats ergonomically designed to help you maintain good posture by allowing you to adjust the height of your monitor.
• Apply ice.Cold helps reduce inflammation that may be affecting your back. Leave the ice pack on for about 20 minutes, and then remove it. You can do this every hour or so.
• Use a heating pad. After any inflammation is under control , many people find heat soothing. It also promotes healing by bringing blood to your back.
• Take over-the-counter medication.Pain relievers like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce discomfort and swelling.
• Use a support. Placing a rolled-up towel or special lumbar pillow at the base of your spine while sitting will help you remember to sit up straight and provide you with some stability.
• Get a massage. This can help loosen and relax tight muscles.
• Consider yoga.Yoga is known for its ability to stretch and strengthen the body. Many programs allow for modification of the poses as needed.

There are several exercises that will help strengthen your lower back. Try these three stretching exercises to help make your back stronger and better toned:

Read Also: What Causes A Tight Lower Back