back pain What Causes The Pain?

Back pain is a symptom not a diagnosis. In most cases,
the exact cause of the problem is never tracked down.
Causes of simple back pain include poor posture, lifting
and carrying, lack of fitness, sleeping on soft
mattresses, standing for long periods, sitting in chairs
that lack back support, and repetitive jobs.
Twisting or lifting improperly can cause tears in the
ligaments that support the spine. Pregnancy is a common
trigger for back pain, due to softening of the ligaments
and changes in posture due to the growing “little person”.


Other Common Causes Of Back Pain Include But Are Not Limited To:

Spondylosis:  Type of arthritis caused by degenerative changes in the spine that come
with age.

Spondylitis:  Chronic back pain and stiffness caused by a severe infection or
inflammation of the spinal joints.
Sciatica: Burning, stabbing pain that can go down the leg as far as the foot. It’s
usually caused by a protruding disc squeezing the sciatic nerve. Sciatica
is discussed in more detail later in this book.

Herniated disc: Pain caused when disc material bulges and puts pressure on a nerve.
Most protruding or bulging discs occur in the lumbar region, and in
severe cases can lead to permanent nerve damage, and rarely, loss of
bowel or bladder control.

Spinal stenosis:  Often due to arthritis, it’s a narrowing of the space around the spinal
cord that can result in the nerve getting squeezed.
Osteoporosis:  Loss of bone density and strength can lead to weak bones and fractures
of the vertebrae in the spine.

Stress:  Stress can cause back muscles to become tense and painful. Other
causes include kidney stones, endometriosis, cancer and other diseases.

SOURCE: WHERE DOES IT HURT ?