Discovering the source of your back pain is the first step you will want to take in determining the cause of the pain. When you find the culprit that is causing the pain, you can fit effective treatment to that cause.

Cause of Back Pain – Simple

Simple back pain is common in people between the ages of 35 and 50: middle aged people. This back pain comes and goes. It is usually caused by a change in your level or type of activity – or by poor posture:

* You went from a daily desk job to a weekend of helping a friend move.
* You decided to be a weekend sports hero instead of a couch potato.
* You stood, with bad posture, watching a long parade.
* You carried two 5-gallon bottles of water up a flight of stairs.
* You slouched in your seat throughout a 4-hour movie.
* You tripped while hiking, and fell headlong across a rotting log.

Activities of this nature can strain or injure the back and surrounding muscles, causing simple back pain. A warm heating pad will give temporary relief, but the treatment that best fits these causes if activity and exercise. Take it easy, and increase gradually to strengthen your back.

Cause of Back Pain – Spine-related

Some causes of back pain originate within the spinal column itself. A disc may be herniated, bulging outward. A disc may have fallen out of alignment, a condition known as a slipped disc. Both herniated discs and slipped discs can result in inflammation and pressure on nerves around your spinal column. This inflammation and pressure will, in turn, produce back pain. Spinal stenosis, another back condition, is characterized by narrowing vertebrae. A result of aging, spinal stenosis can lead to serious back pain and stiffness, especially when you first awaken in the morning or after sitting in one position for a long period. Your physician will be able to diagnose spine-related causes of back pain through x-rays.

Cause of Back Pain – More Serious

Rarely, more serious causes of back pain occur, such as infections and tumors. The seriousness of these makes it important that you always seek a physician’s advice before treating back pain on your own.

The cause of back pain sometimes remains a mystery. Treatment with heat and careful exercise will, in time, alleviate or eliminate most of such pains.

What causes back muscle pain?

* POSTURE. Among the most common causes of back muscle pain is incorrect posture. This is especially true of incorrect sitting posture. Think through your day. Do you spend long hour:

o sitting at a desk at work?
o in front of a computer?
o in front of the television set?
o behind the wheel of a vehicle?

Improper posture is the source of much back muscle pain. The muscles of the back are constantly struggling to keep your spine aligned. When you allow yourself to slouch or bend forward too much, you encourage back muscle pain. When you lean on an arm rest too long, you ask for back muscle pain.

* SHOES. Unhappily, your shoes may be causing your back muscle pain.
Shoes that do not fit properly can shift your weight slightly to one side or the other. Your muscles fight this shift, and back muscle pain results. Women’s high heels tend to shift the weight forward, again causing back muscle pain.

* STANDING / WALKING. If you walk a lot during the day, or stand for long periods of time, you may strain your back muscles. This strain can bring on back muscle pain.

* EXERCISE. Exercise is great, and your back needs exercise, especially back pain exercise. However, exercise without proper warm-up and cool-down times can cause back muscle pain. Incorrectly performed exercise is also a cause of back muscle pain.

How should I treat back muscle pain?

1. Begin with a hot bath. Epsom salts may be added, but make the bath hot. It will relax your back muscles.

2. Get a massage – or use an electric massager / massage cushion.

3. Begin regular back pain exercises, such as those found on this site.

4. Alternate heat from a heating pad (low to medium) with ice packs.

How can I avoid back muscle pain in the future?

* Work on your posture, especially sitting posture.
* Be sure your chair supports your lower back.
* When walking or standing for long periods of time, exchange stylish high heels for sensible heels.
* Exercise regular, with proper warm-up and cool-down.

Contact a physician to determine the cause of your individual back muscle pain, treat it with his or her approval, and then take precautions to avoid future back muscle pain.

Back Pain during Pregnancy – Causes

Your spine, muscles, tendons, and ligaments are all working overtime. They are trying to cope with several changes.

* added weight in front
* shift in your center of gravity
* reduced balance
* pressure on the spine

Back pain during pregnancy is to be expected when you consider the increased work load your muscles have. And while it can be experienced at any point in pregnancy, it is more common in late pregnancy when baby’s weight increases. As your posture changes to maintain balance, the muscles of the lower back are especially strained. For this reason, back pain during pregnancy is most often lower back pain.

Back Pain during Pregnancy – Obesity

Overweight women are more likely to experience back pain during pregnancy than are those of healthy weight. The back is already straining to support a load that is too heavy for its structure. When the load of pregnancy is added, muscles are easily strained to the point of injury and pain.

Prevention and Treatment of Back Pain during Pregnancy

You can use simple treatments for back pain during pregnancy. Your healthcare provider will tell you which to use, and how often. Most doctors recommend continuation of physical activity and exercise to strengthen your back.

In addition, ask him or her about the following:

* get sufficient sleep – on your side, with pillows under knees
* elevate your feet several times during the day
* avoid high heels
* wear support under your abdomen
* when picking something up from the floor, kneel on one knee
* lift with your legs
* alternate hot and cold compresses

If back pain during pregnancy persists, visit your physician.

How Does Gas Cause Lower Back Pain?

Actually, it is usually not a matter of gas causing severe back pain, but rather the gas and back pain being caused by the same thing. The source may be constipation, or it may be a problem with the gallbladder. If you have a lot of gas with bloating, the bloating itself can cause pressure on the back, in which case you might say it is gas causing severe back pain. You may want to ask your doctor about the following.

Constipation

It feels as though it is gas causing severe back pain when constipation is “important” constipation. Important constipation includes hard stools that are difficult to pass, or infrequent stools accompanied by abdominal pain, back pain, and abdominal bloating. The patient may experience gas without being able to pass the stool, and the constipation exerts increasing pressure on back muscles, which can develop into severe back pain. Thus, it seems that it is gas causing severe back pain when constipation is causing both.

Gallbladder

A gallbladder attack can also feel as though it is gas causing severe back pain. The primary symptom of a gallbladder attack is typically a steady pain in the upper right abdomen near the rib cage. This pain may, however, radiate to the upper back. The patient often passes gas during an attack, so that it may seems as though it is gas causing severe back pain, when in reality, it is the gallbladder causing both.

Unrelated Gas

Even though you think it is gas causing severe back pain, the two may be totally unrelated. Everyone has gas. It is normal. Rarely does a person have too much gas. Your back pain may be a muscle strain or other injury, and it is making you notice normal gas more than usual.

Although possible, it is unlikely that gas is actually connected to the back pain. However, without examination one cannot be sure of this.

Please see your physician for an examination as soon as possible. The information here is for educational purposes only.

There are back pain risk factors, just as there are risk factors for various diseases. If you know them, and modify your lifestyle and activity accordingly, you can reduce the possibility of back pain.

Age of Onset

Most people who experience back pain do so for the first time between the ages of 30 and 40. This is the decade when the body begins to lose its flexibility. Activities that once incurred no pain can suddenly make an individual unable to move freely.

Musculoskeletal strains are more common with people in the 30 to 40 age group. Lifting heavy objects, sudden twisting or jerking, and engaging in extended labor to which the body is not accustomed can all contribute to back pain.

Risk Factors for Back Pain

Below is a list (not exhaustive) of risk factors for back pain. Some can be avoided. Some demand proactive lifestyle changes.

1. Activity: Those who live a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to experience back pain than those who regularly engage in activities. Those who maintain higher levels of physical fitness strengthen the core muscles of the back, legs, and abdomen, all of which support the back and avoid back pain. The activity must be regular, however. Those who have spurts of activity, getting involved in vigorous sports or heavy work only on weekends are at the greatest risk of injury with back pain. Regular, moderate levels of activity will put you at least risk for back pain.

2. Weight: Obesity is hard on the back. The body strains to carry the excess weight and support the back, but the strain eventuates in varying degrees of back pain. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are the only way to reduce this risk factor.

3. Manual Labor: Some jobs require heavy lifting, often accompanied by twisting, vibrating, or jerking the spine. Such jobs put you at risk for back pain from injury. Learn the proper techniques for pushing and pulling, and wear a back support belt. Lifting techniques are described elsewhere on this website.

4. Desk Jobs: Those with desk jobs are not necessarily at less risk for back pain than manual laborers. Sitting all day in a chair that is not ergonomically correct for you, or sitting with improper posture can rapidly lead to back pain. Try to adjust your chair so that you sit straight with feet firmly planted on the floor. Arrange your computer monitor so that the top of it is about 2″ above your eye level. Frequent times of stretching will also reduce the risk of back pain.

CAUTION: The author is not a medical professional, and presents this information for educational purposes only. If you are experiencing back pain, seek advice from your doctor.