Maybe it was a sectional sofa or the solid oak entertainment center that you get talked into helping your buddy move every few years that left you bent over like a little old lady.  Muscle tissue can only stretch so far before it begins to tear.  This is just one of the many different situations for what causes lower back pain.  The spine is both very strong and very vulnerable at the same time; it can carry a few hundred pounds of muscle and fat, but can also break down with just the slightest wrong turn.

The Back Breaking Facts Of Your Sore Spine

Figuring out the specifics of what causes lower back pain can be as simple as making a list of your daily and weekly activities.  It could also require literal X-ray vision to see what is going on under the surface. You may have done more than pull a few muscles playing basketball all afternoon. You might not remember everything you did to end up hunched over in the chiropractor’s office but your body does. Muscles and nerves have a far better memory than the person in which they inhabit.

Continual injury to the same area of your back can do more than just cause lower back pain.  What you may not realize is that an imbalance in your spinal column that makes you even more susceptible to future injuries.  The more weakened your muscles, the easier it can be to strain them again.  When it comes to the spine, this can lead to herniated discs and pinched nerves.  It would not be a bad idea to find out what causes back pain problems in general.

Deformities of the spinal column like scoliosis and bone degeneration such as osteoporosis can also be what causes lower back pain.  Scoliosis causes the spine to curve into an uncharacteristic S or C-shape.  It is still unknown why this happens, but most cases are mild and mainly need to be observed every few months by a doctor.  Severe scoliosis patients will need a brace or even surgery.

A proper diagnosis can be determined with a visit to the doctor’s office, and perhaps a handful of tests.  When it comes to internal pain, it is better to be over cautious than do nothing.  Sometimes waiting even just a few weeks can almost be too late. As the saying goes, better safe than sorry.

Iceberg Or Ice Cube?

A low back strain is a very common lower back pain cause.  What happens exactly?  Basically you do too much and lift too much for too long, which results in the muscle fibers in your lower back being pulled in ways they are not accustomed to.  Most of the time this is not a serious injury; you will, however, need to stop your twisting and shaking for a few weeks. Be prepared to break out the ice pack and spend some quality time with your sofa.

A lumbar sprain is similar to a strain in that they are both popular causes of lower back pain.  But unlike the latter, lumbar sprains can be much more painful; a sprain occurs when the ligaments are torn.  Think of ligaments as the cables that keep a suspension bridge suspended.  If a cable snaps, the integrity of the bridge is threatened and weakened. The symptoms of the two are so alike that it may be easier to tell the Double Mint twins apart than to nail down a diagnosis for this lower back pain cause.

For women, painful cramps during their menstrual cycle and premenstrual syndrome can be a lower back pain cause.  During the latter part of pregnancy puts much added pressure on the spine and vertebrae, causing pinched nerves and quite a bit of discomfort.  Endometriosis is another health issue for women that many times will be made worse by pain in the lower back area.

Exercising these muscles do aid in relieving the pain, especially for anyone whose job requires repetitive motions. Not giving your muscles a variety of movement and stretching throughout the day can also cause upper back pain. Something as simple as a few arm and back stretches in the morning could do wonders for your overall spinal health. Regular visits to your family physician are an important key in taking care of yourself.