Lower Back Pain Kidney
Lower Back Pain Causes And Treatments by Jack Woo
What is Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is the second most common reason Americans go to the doctor and this medical condition affects up to 80% of the adult population in the U.S. Each year 13 million people go to the doctor for this condition.
When the spine’s flexibility, strength and stability are affected, it can cause discomfort, stiffness and pain. You are more prone to suffer from lower back pain because the low back supports most of your body’s weight.
This condition can be classified as either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term, continuous, ongoing).
Acute lower back pain lasts less than 4 weeks and is normally not the result of any serious medical condition. In most cases you will improve within 1 week, even without medical attention.
Chronic low back pain may lasts more than 3 months.
Lower Back Structure
Understanding our spine and how it works can help us understand why we have lower back pain.
Our spine is a pillar of small bones, known as vertebrae, which are stacked on top of one another. Inter-vertebral disks, muscles, nerves and ligaments are the additional parts of our spine.
Our spinal column is grouped into different sections:
Cervical spine: 7 vertebrae that support the neck.
Thoracic spine: 12 vertebrae are connected to the ribs in the chest.
Lumbar spine: 5 vertebrae are the lowest and largest bones of the spinal column.
The sacral, a shield-shaped bone, connects our back to our pelvis.
The coccyx (tailbone) is at the end and composed tiny vertebrae fused together.
The lumbar vertebrae support most of our body’s weight and stress than any other part of our spine. This is why our lower back is the most likely to get hurt.
Lower Back Pain Symptoms
Depending on the underlying cause, the pain may be sharp or stabbing. It can be dull or achy.
Symptoms of low back pain may include:
â
