Were you physically active when you were younger, but now that you are older, you feel every injury that you ever had all over again? Does lower back pain make getting out of bed in the morning difficult? Does standing on a hard surface for lengthy periods of time cause you to have numbness or tingling, burning sensations that radiate from the lower back, down into the glutes, groin, thighs, and feet? Is this pain relieved by sitting?
Causes
Lower back pain has many causes:
● Poor lifting and bending mechanics
● Improper warming up before exercising
● A motor vehicle accident
● Arthritis
● Scoliosis (abnormal curvature of the spine)
● Stiff/tight psoas muscles
● Bulging discs
● Pinched nerves
● Neural foraminal narrowing
● Moderate to severe central canal stenosis
● No specific reason at all
Lower back pain can be acute (last a brief period) or chronic (last for 3 weeks or longer).
Diagnosis
● To determine the cause of your lower back pain, an X-ray, an MRI, or CT is needed.
Treatment
Depending on the severity, lower back pain is treatable. These practices may be helpful.
● Rest
● Ice packs and heating pads for 20 minutes four times per day interchangeably
● Daily stretching
● Massages
● NSAIDS (Advil, Aleve, Naproxen, ibuprofen, etc.)
● Muscle relaxers, if necessary
If none of the above treatment regimens are effective, then consider a referral to a pain management specialist for an epidural steroid injection (ESI) or a referral for a consultation with a neurosurgeon.
References
Hill, E. C. (2020). Mechanical Low Back Pain. https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/310353-overview#a4
Kaulitzki, S. (2019). 3d rendered, medically accurate 3d illustration of the highlighted spine. [Illustration]. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/3d-rendered-medically-accurate-illustration-highlighte
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