Causes of Pain from Spine Problems

Back pain is an easily recognizable problem that can bring on a number of sensations. It can present itself in any location along the spine, a stack of 26 bones connected by ligaments, muscles and shock-absorbing discs.

You rely on your spine to be the workhorse of the body — its function is essential for nearly every move you make. Because of this, the spine and its inter-vertebral discs can be particularly vulnerable to injury and chronic pain.

Back pain is the most common complaint brought to doctors in the United States. Over six million cases are seen annually, with the majority being in the lower back. It is expensive, too, ranking 3rd after heart disease and cancer in its contribution to medical expenses. Four out of five adults will have at least one bout of back pain sometime during their lives. In fact, back pain is the most common reason for doctor office visits, worker’s compensation claims and missed work.

On the bright side, you can prevent most back pain. Simple home treatment and proper body mechanics will often heal your back within a few weeks and keep it functional for the long haul. Surgery is only occasionally needed to treat back pain.

Causes

Your lower back bears most of the weight and stress of your body. Back pain most often occurs from strained back muscles and ligaments, from improper or heavy lifting, or after a sudden awkward movement. Sometimes a muscle spasm can cause back pain. Often, there is an accumulation of stress with one particular event resulting in pain. In many cases, there may not be an obvious cause.

The following specific conditions can also cause back pain:

• Failed open spine surgery. Following open spine surgery, whether it is a fusion, discectomy or laminectomy, patients can experience chronic pain in the back and or the arms or legs. These syndromes are often due to identifiable causes but are termed by surgeons and the medical community to be failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS).

• Herniated disc. This is a condition in which part, or all, of the soft, gelatinous central portion of an intervertebral disc is forced through a weakened part of the disc. This results in back pain and leg pain or neck pain and arm pain due to nerve root irritation when the inner portion of the disc (called the nucleus pulposus) presses on a nerve root exiting the spinal cord...

• Sciatica. This occurs when there is an inflammation of the sciatic nerve, causing sharp, shooting pain through the buttocks and down the back of the leg.

• Spinal stenosis. This condition is a narrowing of the spinal canal due to arthritis, bone spurs or herniated discs placing pressure on the spinal cord.

• Spondylosis. This condition, also referred to as Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD), is a gradual deterioration of the disc between the vertebrae. As people age, the moisture content in the intervertebral disc in the spine lessen. This causes a narrowing of the normal disc space between vertebrae, often resulting in compression of the nerves running between the vertebrae.

• Spondylolisthesis. This condition is a forward slippage of one vertebra in the spine over another. This condition in adults is most commonly due to degeneration (wear and tear) of the discs and ligaments that bind and support the spine. This condition often narrows the space between adjoining vertebrae resulting in pressure on nerve roots.

Repeated bouts of back pain or failed previous “open” spine surgeries can lead to chronic back pain. Chronic pain is often difficult to treat with conservative non-surgical methods.

Treatment

Most back or neck pain gets better with a few weeks of home treatment and careful attention. A regular schedule of pain relievers and hot or cold therapy may be all that you need to improve your pain. A short period of bed rest is okay, but more than a few days actually does more harm than good. If home treatments aren't working, your doctor may suggest stronger medications or other therapy.


Therapies

There are many different therapies to treat back or pain, after the cause of the pain is found. Even if the cause is not found, there are therapies that can reduce your pain such as pain medications, exercise, electrical stimulation or physical therapy.


Surgical and other procedures

The minority of people with back or neck pain require surgery. Surgery is usually reserved for pain caused by a herniated discs, spinal stenosis or degenerative disc disease. If you have unrelenting pain or progressive muscle weakness caused by nerve compression, you may benefit from surgery.