Back pain, dorsodynia or dorsalgia – whatever you want to call it – most of us will be affected by it. It is the second most common reason Americans see their doctor and/or call in sick to work. Two thirds of us will experience back pain in our lifetime. Back pain comes in many forms for many reasons. It could be acute (pain experienced less than a month) from activity or injury, or it could be chronic (pain experienced more than a month) that comes from a degenerative condition. Sprains, strains, spasms, and herniated disks are some of the reasons for acute pain and Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis and Fibromyalgia are reasons for chronic pain
The back is so full of bones, nerves and soft tissue there is a lot that can go wrong or become tweaked. The anatomy is complex. Among the many parts are the vertebrae, spinal cord, intervertebral disk, spinal nerves, and all of these parts are what keep us walking, turning, moving and dancing. That is a lot of stress for one relatively small part of our bodies.
Most of the cases of back pain stem from stresses on the muscles or ligaments from, say, lifting improperly or too much weight. Other problems may start in a different part of the body and be felt in the back. This is called referred pain. Many aches and pains will go away within a week without treatment, but some problems, like numbness, pins and needles, or a weakening in the legs or arms should be looked at immediately or the problem could be exacerbated.
Treatments for back pain range from stretching to herbs and medication to surgery or other medical procedures. Since most acute pain will go away by itself within a week, surgery is only needed for a small percentage of sufferers. Therefore, short-term pain reducers (like anti-inflammatories, massage and rest) is how most people cope.
Staying physically fit and strengthening your core muscles can decrease your chances of having acute pains. If we all did our crunches daily (and properly) we would probably have fewer incidents, though there are plenty of fit people who still experience back trouble. Low impact regimens, like swimming and walking may decrease the stress on the lower back.
Exercises that specifically target strengthening of the back muscles, and lumbar supports, in chairs or belts, are thought to decrease the likelihood of injuries, but every case is individual. Anyone who experiences severe back pain that doesn’t go away after a week should definitely seek the advice of a health care professional.