Common Cause Of Back pain And Home Remedies
Back pain is the world’s leading reason for a doctor’s visit. Low back pain is super common; around four out of every five people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Some people will be able to identify a trigger for their back pain, like doing some heavy lifting or a sporting injury, but for many, low back pain can seem to come out of nowhere. Back pain can be incredibly debilitating; it can stop people from going to work and can make simple things like going out with friends into a miserable experience. But the good news is that most back pain gets better with time.
The causes of back pain can be divided into two broad categories: there is musculoskeletal back pain and pathological back pain. Pathological means that the pain is caused by an underlying disease process. Our lower back is a complex structure. It is made up of bones, muscles, nerves, and other tissues that work together to help us move. The bones of the back are called vertebrae; these vertebrae are stacked on top of one another to form the spinal column. In between these bones are spinal discs that act as shock absorbers and allow the bones to move relative to each other. Within the spinal column is the spinal cord. This is a thick bundle of nerves that has a direct connection with our brain. From this thick cord are small nerves that have to squeeze through tight spaces between each vertebrae to reach our muscles and organs. The spinal column is held together by ligaments, tendons, and muscles that allow us to bend forward, backward, and side to side.
Musculoskeletal back pain is caused by a strain of one of the many joints, ligaments, tendons, discs, and muscles in our lower back. Because of the sheer number of nerves that run through the lower back, even a slight injury to these structures can cause excruciating pain. And because these structures are so close to one another, it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the injury. Musculoskeletal back pain is the most common form of back pain. The majority of musculoskeletal back pain will improve with physiotherapy, pain medications, and most importantly, time. A physical therapist may even find a muscular or posture imbalance that you may be able to correct with stretches and exercises.
The pathological causes of back pain include conditions like infection, cancer, fracture, autoimmunity, and nerve damage. If back pain persists beyond 6 weeks, then this could be a sign that there could be something more than a back strain at play.
The second sign that makes us worry is a progressive escalation in the severity of pain. With musculoskeletal back pain, many people will experience fluctuating symptoms. On some days, the back can feel quite good, but on another day, it can feel worse. Pain from pathological conditions does not behave this way. Once a problem has occurred, it continues to stay that way and usually gets worse. So pain that turns up and then continues to escalate over time is a sign that there could be an underlying disease process.
The third sign is fever or night sweats that accompany back pain. Although infections that cause back pain are rare, they can occur in people who use injecting drugs, who are taking immunosuppressive medications, or those who live in areas where infections like tuberculosis are common.
The fourth sign are people over the age of 50 who have developed new back pain. With increasing age, problems like cancer and fractures become more likely. In particular, women over the age of 50 experience a significant reduction in bone density after menopause, putting them at higher risk of fractures.
The fifth sign that makes us worry is back pain that is associated with unexplained and unintentional weight loss. That is because weight loss can be a side effect of cancer. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells, so these cells can suck up energy and cause people to lose weight. Some cancers will start in the spine, while others like prostate cancer can start elsewhere and then travel to the spine.
The sixth sign are people who experience severe spine stiffness. This can be a sign of an autoimmune condition called ankylosing spondylitis that causes fusion of the vertebrae and leads to restriction in spine movement. This condition can make life very difficult over time, so it is important for doctors to diagnose it as early as possible.
The seventh sign is evidence of nerve injury. In severe situations, this can include symptoms like urinary incontinence, constipation, numbness around the genitals and buttocks. In less severe situations, there may be changes in sensation in the lower legs and weakness in leg movements. These signs indicate that the complex web of nerve fibers that run inside and around the spinal cord may have been injured somewhere along their path. This could be due to a disc bulge pushing on a nerve root or, in severe cases, compression of the spinal cord itself. With a bulging disc, often physical therapy is tried first, but in compression of the spinal cord, urgent surgery is required.
One thing to remember is that these seven signs are not absolute indicators of serious back pain. In fact, research shows that some of these signs have a high false positive rate. So if you do have one or more of these signs, stay calm and get a checkup from your healthcare provider. If someone experiences low back pain that has lasted for more than 6 or maybe even 12 weeks, but your doctor has not found a pathologic condition despite doing an appropriate evaluation. This situation is called chronic back pain, an incredibly frustrating and complex condition where the problem may have started in the back, but over time it has also caused changes within the body’s pain signaling system.
There is no doubt that our modern lives encourage us to be more sedentary than generations before us. Unfortunately, this level of comfort has its disadvantages, one of which is a loss in flexibility.
There are a number of excellent natural remedies to control that back pain, which can help reduce the intake of medications or avoid a doctor’s visit. They are practiced for centuries and are effective and safe.
Number one: Turmeric Milk. A body undergoes a lot of oxidative stress in its day-to-day functioning of its organs. These oxidative stresses cause so many diseases, including back pain, heart attack, and cancer. A lot of studies are undergoing to understand this oxidative stress, and there is a lot of interest in developing naturally occurring antioxidant plant products. These antioxidants are potent anti-inflammatory and even anti-cancer agents, which are passed on from generations as natural immunity boosters. Consuming these healthy antioxidants on a regular basis may help reduce your back pain. Turmeric, an Indian spice used extensively for 4000 years now for daily cooking like curry, contains several antioxidants collectively called curcuminoids. Curcumin is the main ingredient which gives turmeric its characteristic yellow color. Turmeric has been used in Ayurveda for centuries for its anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. Mix a small quantity, that’s half a teaspoon, of turmeric powder in a glass of warm milk. The warm milk activates the curcumin, and you can just add a hint of honey if you prefer a sweet taste. Consume this drink regularly to allow the anti-inflammatory process to work around the year.
Number two: Green Tea. The world’s favorite beverage is packed with powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients like polyphenols, which heal the injured disc and spinal joint surfaces early to offer pain relief of chronic back pain. Tea also contains caffeine, which itself is a potent painkiller used in many medications in modern medicine. You can also try infused herbal drinks such as ginger green tea, tulsi tea, or masala tea and get the healing properties of those herbs and spices which are used for generations in Asia.
Number Three: Back Massage. This is one of the proven therapies for chronic back pain. Massage relieves those muscle knots and relaxes those sore muscles. It increases the blood flow to your backbone, ligaments, and joints. Use a heated oil such as ginger oil, peppermint oil, castor oil, or almond oil so that the heat soothes the inflamed back joints. One word of caution though: not all back pains should be addressed with back massage. In some spinal conditions, massage is dangerous and contraindicated. Also, make sure that the pressure applied to the backbone should be mild to moderate.
Number Four: Posture. One of the most important factors contributing to pain relief is your back posture. Whether you are at the office chair, driver’s seat, or your living room sofa, maintain a good natural spinal curvature. Keep a small lumbar pillow to support your low back if needed. Maintaining a good posture ensures faster healing, relaxed back muscles, and avoids further damage to your spine.
Above natural body exercises and home remedies when practiced regularly helps us in reducing the back pain.
