Low Back Pain

A persistent ache in the lower back, shooting pains down the legs or muscles so tight you can’t even stand up straight. For the more than 65 million Americans who suffer from low back pain every year, the symptoms come in different forms, but the problem is frequently the same: a nerve root near the spine is irritated. In about 90 percent of all low back pain cases, a nerve that travels from the spinal cord through the bones of the spine gets pinched or irritated, the muscles tense up and the patient experiences low back pain. The solution depends on why the nerve is irritated in the first place.”

The spinal column is an intricate network of nerves, discs and bones. The spinal cord begins in the brain and is protected by the spinal column as it runs most of the way down the back. Every movement and function of the body is controlled by the spinal cord. Motor nerves lead out of the spinal cord to control movement in the body while sensory nerves enter into the spinal cord communicating messages from the body back to the brain. Together, the motor and sensory nerves form more than 50 nerve roots, which run through holes, called foramina, in the bones of the spinal column. Each one of these nerve roots has the potential to become irritated and cause back pain.

Activity, stress or a mechanical problem in the spine can cause one of the discs to bulge and become misshapen just as a rubber tire might with pressure on it. When this happens, the disc may pinch or put pressure on a nerve root and the patient experiences pain. This is what frequently happens in a mild or moderate case of low back or leg pain.

Occasionally, the disc will bulge to the point where it herniates or ruptures and puts even greater pressure on the nerve root. In the lower back, the nerve roots lead to the legs and irritation may cause not only back pain, but also pain that radiates down one or both of the legs. There also can be muscle weakness, numbness or changes in the reflexes in the legs if a nerve root in the lumbar spine is irritated.

It is also common to develop a back sprain like a sprain in the ankle. Even mild episodes of low back pain usually involve some sort of irritation of the nerves in the spine. The key to that initial treatment is to relieve the nerve irritation.

Although low back pain can be quite debilitating and severe to patients, in 90 percent of cases the pain improves without surgery. However, 50 percent of all patients who suffer from an episode of low back pain will have a recurrent episode within one year.

It is estimated that back pain afflicts over 31 million Americans and is the number one cause of activity limitation in young adults.¹ Within a given year, up to 50% of U.S. adults suffer from back pain.²

Americans spend at least $50 Billion each year on low back pain and it is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States.³
Low back pain is the second most frequent reason for visits to the physician.⁴
80% of people over the age of 30 will experience back problems at some point in their lives. 30% of those will have recurring problems. ⁵
Each year, there are approximately 916,000 spinal surgeries performed in the US.⁶
Back pain accounts for almost one fourth of all occupational injuries and illnesses.⁷
In the United States, back surgery rates increase almost proportionately with the supply of orthopedic and neurosurgeons.⁸

CAUSES OF BACK PAIN

Back pain can be caused by many different diseases and conditions. Some of these conditions can be very serious but fortunately they are for the most part uncommon. These serious conditions include; cancer, tumors, neoplasm, inflammatory arthritis and infection. Several common conditions that can cause back pain are listed below.

Common Causes of Back Pain