There are various causes of Lower back Pain
ranging from bad posture, obesity, lifestyle factors, post- pregnancy
to systematic conditions like ankylosing spondylitis amongst others.
You must see a doctor/physio if your pain is
disabling, hasn't been getting better, there are more episodes lately
or are affecting your lifestyle and keeping you from your daily
tasks. An MRI or an X-ray image of your back may be required to study
your spine closely.
Low Back Pain Causes
Causes of lower back pain varies from
lifestyle, occupation, genetics, individual characteristics and so on
that are associated with a higher risk of developing a specific
health problem.
Individual studies have shown certain
mechanical factors to be associated with lower back pain or disc
prolapse:
• Repeated bending and lifting at work
• Repeated bending at home
• Prolonged bending
• Unexpected spinal loading
• Driving
• Sedentary jobs.
A high incidence of low back pain has been
found in those who spend a lot of their working day either sitting or
standing, but was much less common in those who were able to vary
their working positions regularly during the day.
Occupational physical stresses that have been
found to be consistently and in general strongly associated with the
occurrence of back pain across multiple systematic reviews are as
follows:
• Heavy or frequent lifting
• Whole body vibration (as when driving)
• Prolonged or frequent bending or twisting
• Postural stresses (high spinal load or
awkward postures).
Frank et al. (1996) estimated the relative risk
of low back pain associated with heavy lifting and whole body
vibration to be three to four times normal, and that of spinal
loading, postural stresses and dynamic trunk motion to be more than
five times normal. Obesity, smoking, weight gain during pregnancy,
stress, poor physical condition, and poor sleeping position may also
contribute to low back pain.
Physical causes of low back pain may include
osteoarthritis, degeneration of the discs between the vertebrae or a
spinal disc herniation, fracture of vertebra (such as from
osteoporosis) or, rarely, an infection or tumor of the spine.
However, Younger adults (e.g. 30 to 60 year olds) are more likely to
experience back pain from the disc space itself (e.g. lumbar disc
herniation or degenerative disc disease) or from a back muscle strain
or other soft tissue strain and Older adults (e.g. over 60) are more
likely to suffer from pain related to joint degeneration.
Epidemiological studies addressing psychosocial
risk factors as a cause of back pain are far fewer than those
investigating physical factors. Low job satisfaction, relationships
at work, including social support, high job demand, monotony or lack
of control at work, stress and anxiety are factors that have an
association with back pain in several studies, although the evidence
[or these factors is often weak or contradictory (Burdorf and Sorock
1997; Ferguson and Marras 1997). There are equal numbers of studies
that are negative and show no relation between these psychosocial
variables and back pain (Vingard and Nachemson 2000).
Low Back Pain Diagnosis
Digital Spine Analysis
A digital spine analysis may be prescribed to
do a functional assessment of your spine. The muscles around our
spine are responsible for taking up a major percentage of the
stress/load that our bodies bear. Through a DSA will correctly and
quantitatively assess all the involved muscle groups. A detailed
report on the spine’s mobility and strength is done to identify the
areas that need work in order to reduce the load on your disc and the
spinal structure. This test is essential to conclude the root cause
of your back pain, so out treatment is more specific and gives faster
and lasting results instead of just providing symptomatic temporary
relief.
X-ray and MRI
Scans are only able to give us the picture of
your disc and the spine, but the most important structure, the
muscles, are not ‘measured’ or studied in any way. The test is
mostly repeated at the end of your treatment to see the differences
and progress that your muscles have made in the given time. DSA is
recommended to people who have any complaints of low back pain in the
past, so the treatment line is clearer and more focused. Low back
pain needs attention in the start so it's worsening can be arrested
and steps for correction and prevention are taken too.
Low Back Pain Treatment
The success of treatment mainly depends on the
precision of the diagnosis. The treatment goals are re-assessed
regularly so to track the progress the patient is making, not only in
terms of symptoms but also, the activities achieved during the
course.
The treatment mainly consists of three phases.
The first phase will focus on arresting the current problem and
relief from the symptoms through a set of thoroughly devised
treatment protocol made specifically for your body type and needs.
This will be simultaneously done with the strengthening of the
required muscles that provide stability to your spine.
An exercise program for home will enable to
tackle the pain as the time proceeds. These exercises will be revised
periodically. Manual mobilization or manipulations of the spine,
which are widely used world over are used in some of our patients,
depending on the case. Most of patients, by the end are well equipped
with information to tackle minor episodes which may be brought on
sometimes.
The goal of treatment is to work on the root
cause and correct that in order to have long term relief. Our aim is
to make our patients self-reliant.
Qi
Spine Clinic has
treated over 17,000 patients with back ailments with a success rate
of 91%.
Qi
Spine Clinic India's
first and only healthcare offering that exclusively focuses on the
diagnosis and treatment of spine related problems.
Clinic Locations: Currently we have 19 clinics across India in Mumbai, Delhi & Pune
Contact Us: +91 8655885566/ +91 7827907070
To learn more, please visit qispineclinic.com