To maintain and improve spinal health
Back pain, which can vary in duration and magnitude, is a common medical problem resulting in tension, stiffness, and ache in the back. Bain pain can seriously affect an individual’s quality of life by restricting the ability to exercise, work, or simply move around. As a result, understanding the common causes of back problems, learning the different ways to prevent back pain the in future, and discovering different treatments available are of value to maintain and improve spinal health.
Identifying the causes of back problems will assist one in their recovery. The most frequent way people develop back pain arises from spinal injuries. These injuries include falls, accidents, and poor body mechanics, such as twisting and lifting concurrently, which may result in fractures and sprains. While a back sprain is an injury to a ligament supporting the spine including the facet joints, a vertebral fracture is the fracture or collapse of one of the bones of the spine. Osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density and the deterioration of bone tissue, is a common culprit of fractures. Secondly, back problems can arise from mechanical problems, which are related to the discomfort felt when an individual moves their backbone a particular way. Ruptured discs, also known as herniated discs, are one source of mechanical problems of the back. It occurs when the nucleus pulposus inside a disc spills through the protective outer layer, compressing a spinal nerve root and causing pain. Other sources of mechanical problems encompass muscle tension, spasms, and degenerative disc disorder, a disorder caused by aging and the loss of the discs’ capability to act as cushions between the vertebrae. Additionally, back problems can originate from various acquired conditions and diseases. For instance, a person born with thin vertebral bone is more vulnerable to spondylolisthesis, a condition that occurs when a stress fracture causes the vertebra to slip forward. Moreover, ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis, is an inflammatory disease that results in some of the vertebrae to fuse together, reducing the spine’s flexibility. Spinal stenosis is described as the narrowing of the pores within the spine which places pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, resulting in pain and muscle weakness. Among the abovementioned conditions, kidney stones, pregnancy, fibromyalgia, a disorder distinguished by widespread musculoskeletal pain, and scoliosis, a deformity characterized by the sideways curvature of the spine, are other reasons for back problems.