What is Back Pain?

Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis. Pain from trauma may be caused by a sports injury, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident or other stress on spinal bones and tissues. Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility and range of motion, or an inability to stand straight. Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.

Currently, researchers are examining the use of different drugs to effectively treat back pain, in particular, chronic pain that has lasted at least 6 months. Other studies are comparing different health care approaches to the management of acute low back pain (standard care versus chiropractic, acupuncture, or massage therapy). These studies are measuring symptom relief, restoration of function, and patient satisfaction.

Teenagers Suffer Sports Injuries that Cause Worrisome Back Pain

One of the groups of people most likely to wind up with an injury of some kind is adolescent sportspersons. These teenage athletes playing contact sports can wind up with a particular type of injury to the spine. It is often a stress fracture of the vertebrate. This condition is called spondylolysis. A related injury that is similar, but worse, is when the stressed vertebrate begins to weaken the bone. This can make it impossible for the vertebrate to stay in the right position and it will actually begin to move itself out of place. This secondary condition is referred by the similar name of spondylolisthesis. If the vertebrate moves too much it can begin to put pressure on other parts of the spine especially the nerves. If this happens there is no alternative other than surgery.

This condition does have a genetic aspect to it. It you are born with your vertebrates having thin bones to them then you may be more likely to have to deal with this type of condition if you are involved in contact sports. Of course, unless one of your parents actually suffered an injury that meant they were diagnosed with this condition you'll have no reason to know that this could happen to you too.

Contact sports are not the only ones that put a teenager at risk. Gymnastics and weightlifting also stress the lower back. Both of these sports cause the athlete to stretch, and potentially to overstretch him or herself, when performing their routines. Whichever activity your child partakes in they can get seriously hurt.

Either of the conditions can be present without any signs. But as time goes on the pain will begin. It will feel like a strain in the muscles of the lower back at first. The sufferer will assume its nothing more than that and do the usual. They'll get over the counter pain relievers and use cold packs or a hot water bottle to try to ease the pain. But even before the injured person gets frustrated that the tried and true methods are not working there will be more symptoms appearing.

Back spasms will begin then the back will stiffen making it hard to stand and walk. If the nerves become affected the pain will worsen. Your doctor, who you will see when straightening becomes difficult, will order x-rays to locate the cause of the pain. At first bed rest and anti-inflammatories will be recommended in the hopes that this will allow for the vertebrates to reset themselves. Sometimes a back brace will be needed to give extra support until the healing is well on its way. The person with this condition must slowly begin to recapture their normal activities. The physician will want to monitor recovery by regular x-ray check-ups to see if things are moving back into place. If instead the x-ray shows that things are moving more out of place then surgery will be the only answer to correcting your back pain.

Written by: Scott Parat