Get To Know what causes low back pain

There are various things causes low back pain. Low back pain is a very common disorder of the musculoskeletal, and affects eighty percent of individuals at some point in the cause of their lives. The problem is also known as lumbago. In the US, low back pain causes are the leading factors for people to miss work, a common cause of disability related to work and the second most popular neurological ailment after headaches. This pain can be chronic, sub-acute or acute in duration. The majority of causes low back pain are rooted in musculoskeletal problems. Over ninety-nine percent of all pain in the lower back falls in this category.

It is an undeniable fact that the majority of individuals will face back pain within their lifetime. For some people, this pain will be more severe and will last longer, prompting them to seek ways of preventing and curing them. The sooner individuals learn of these causes, the sooner they will recover from their back pains and avoid falling into that situation ever again. low back pain causes are classified into two categories, which are non-Spinal and Spinal.

Non-Spinal Causes of Lower Back Pain

Causes low back pain can arise from various areas in the body apart from the Spinal area. Some of these body areas include:

1. Bladder or kidney infection, where by the individual experiences things like blood in the urine (not sure about this one), kidney stones, and the associated fever.
2. Duodenal or stomach ulcers, which cause the person to experience indigestion, nausea and heartburn.
3. Gynecologic problems such as ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, infection and fibroids, which cause vaginal discharge, irregular bleeding and pain with periods.
4. Pancreatitis or pancreatic inflammation, which may have been caused by a recent infection, alcohol abuse or a history of bile stones.
5. Enlarged abdominal aorta, which causes rapid deteriorating, severe and unremitting lower back pain.

Two Common Spinal causes low back pain


1. Resultant Sciatica and Disc Herniation

One of the major sources of causes is the disc. Dual supply of the nerve to the disc, which involves both nerves of the sympathetic system, and regular sensory nerves, brings about profound, complex and diffused pain. When dealing with low back pain some experts use terms such as herniated discs, slipped discs, nerve damage and sciatica interchangeably but also inappropriately. The disc is made up of a tough outer shell known as annulus fibrosis, and a soft inner shell called nucleus pulposus. If there is a weakness in the outer shell, the inner core will bulge outward, and still if there is a tear in the outer shell the nucleus pulposus will extrude from the disc.

The causes of Low back pain stemming from Herniation arise because of the steady aging of the discs, inappropriate body mechanics and poor strength of the muscles. Since the spinal nerve roots are very close to the discs’ posterior aspects, a herniated in core of the discs can stretch or compress these structures. This is one of the low back pain causes that cause nerve dysfunction with weakness or numbness in the leg. This pain is referred to as sciatica. In the majority of patients experiencing this kind of pain, about seventy percent, recover within six to twelve weeks.


Simply put, sciatica refers to the pain one experiences in the area below the buttock fold in the leg. The pain has to do with the sciatic nerve, which is the nerve responsible for supplying sensation and power to the leg, arising from many roots in the lumber spine. If the pain from sciatic is specific and clearly relates to a single nerve root, then it is known as radicular pain. This is another reason for low back pain, and the pain is accompanied by tingling or numbness. Sometimes the pain goes to a particular area such as the toe.

If sciatic has a more dull pain, radiating down to an area that is more diffused, it is known as referred pain. Normally, this kind of pain radiates through the thighs and buttocks, and at times into the calf. A compressed or damaged nerve system can also be a source for low back pain since it causes the nerve to malfunction. In this situation, there is loss of sensation on the skin, in the area the nerve supplies, loss of power muscle and loss of body reflexes. Sometimes pain is not associated with nerve root dysfunction.

2. Facet Joint Pain

The lumber facet joints are a pair of synovial joints found behind each vertebra, and supplied by dorsal sensory nerve branches, which is the main trunk that the spinal cord receives peripheral sensation. Understanding how this joint works can provide insight on causes of low back pain. The joint’s capsule is densely supplied with sensory endings, which respond to stretch and pressure. It also has particular pain fibers. One of the low back pain causes comes from mechanical stimulation by acute or chronic strain of the capsule of the joint. This is especially so in the presence of central mechanisms or sensitization such as inflammation, by local factors. An added source of painful stimuli is the existence of nerve endings in the synovial tissue found in the joint lining. In general, the facet joint generates significant pain, which results to both referred and local pain. Several other external causes can change the structures in the body. These causes include:

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• Sudden back injury during an accident or sporting activities.
  
• Stress to the nerves, muscles or ligaments.
  
• Certain types of occupations that require various inappropriate movements and postures.
  
• Medical conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis, osteoarthritis and other joint or bone diseases.
  
• Lack of sufficient physical exercise, being overweight or sedentary.
  
• Hypertension, smoking history, occlusion of the arteries and atherosclerosis risks factors, are also causes low back pain