Back Pain Relief

Back pain is most common in the lower back (lumbar region) but can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips.

Symptoms include:

• muscle aches and spasms
• tension, soreness and stiffness
• pain that runs down your legs
• limited flexibility or range of motion of your back.

1. Ageing – wear and tear or degenerative disease can lead to a reduction in bone strength, a decrease in muscle elasticity and tone and a loss of fluid and flexibility of your intervertebral discs.
2. Being overweight –carrying extra weight puts pressure on your spine.
3. Smoking – can cause tissue damage in your back. Smokers often have an unhealthier lifestyle than non-smokers.
4. Fitness – Fitness helps maintain back and abdomen muscle strength and the integrity of intervertebral discs.
5. Pregnancy – the extra weight you carry when expecting a baby can put additional strain on your back.
6. Occupation – a job that involves heavy lifting can lead to back pain. An inactive job where you sit all day with inadequate back support or poor posture can also cause back pain.
7. Suffering from mental illness – such as anxiety, stress or depression. 

Non-specific back pain, which frequently arises without any apparent cause, can result from the abnormal functioning of muscles, ligaments, cartilage, or an irritated/compressed nerve. This may be due to minor sprains and strains, muscle overuse, or injuries. However, in some instances, severe injury or illness to the spine can lead to back pain.

Conditions that are often linked to back pain include:

• A slipped disc – the soft material inside an intervertebral disc can bulge or rupture and press on a nerve. This is commonly known as sciatica, when there is leg pain as a result of a disc compressing the nerve.
• Degenerative disc disease – ageing can cause the intervertebral discs to lose integrity and their cushioning ability.
• Spondylolisthesis – when a vertebra slips out of place and pinches a nerve.
• Spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves.

Most cases of back pain don’t require urgent care. You should see a doctor immediately if your pain is the result of trauma or if your pain is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:

• a fever
• unexplained recent weight loss
• pain in your chest
• a swelling or a deformity in your back
• loss of bladder or bowel control
• an inability to pass urine
• constant pain that won’t ease
• worse pain at night
• numbness around your genitals, buttocks or back passage
• incontinence
• you have tingling or numbness in your legs or arms

It is recommended to schedule a medical assessment with your doctor if your backache has persisted for over six weeks and isn’t improving with self-care practices or if it’s deteriorating. Additionally, it’s essential to consult your physician if you’re experiencing back pain for the first time after turning 50 years old or if you have a medical history of osteoporosis or cancer.

Acute pain serves as a warning sign, indicating that something is wrong in your body and requires your attention. However, in some cases, acute pain can transition into chronic pain, continuing for months or even years. This can occur due to unresolved ongoing physiological conditions, such as arthritis. In many instances, the cause of pain is hard to identify as it doesn’t seem to be associated with any disease, injury, or identifiable damage to the nervous system.

Non-surgical treatments for chronic back pain include:

• Physical therapies – provided by a physiotherapist/another doctor with specialist training.
• Exercise programmes to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture, as well as physical activity and stretching exercises. 
• Pain relieving injections – delivery of steroids and anaesthetic into your joints, ligaments, muscles or around your nerves.
• Facet joint injections – local anaesthetic and steroid medication is injected into your facet joint to relieve the pain and inflammation.
• Nerve root blocks – injection of local anaesthetic and an anti-inflammatory steroid medicine into the area around your nerve root to reduce the pain of a trapped or inflamed nerve and reduce inflammation.

To avoid experiencing back pain, it’s crucial to be mindful of your posture, lifting techniques, and appropriate body mechanics when engaging in physical activities or sports. Using ergonomic furniture while working for extended periods at a desk can also be beneficial. Additionally, maintaining a healthy BMI and strengthening your core and back muscles can be helpful.

Lower back pain

Lower back pain is often due to muscle sprains, regular strains, or injury, and it’s prevalent among individuals aged 30 to 50 years old. As you age, the fluid that protects your spine decreases, leading to potential irritation.

Middle back pain

Middle back pain typically occurs below the neck and above the rib cage and is often caused by poor posture, obesity, injury, or muscle sprains and strains. Symptoms may include dull aches, sharp stabbing pains, and muscle stiffness.

Upper back pain

Upper back pain is often the outcome of poor posture, incorrect heavy lifting, overuse, or injury.

Chronic back pain

Chronic back pain is a long-lasting condition that arises from short-term back pain and persists for an extended duration, unlike common back pain and injuries, which usually recover over time.

The location of your kidneys, underneath your rib cage and toward your back, can make it challenging to differentiate between back pain and kidney pain.

Kidney pain is felt on either side of your spine between the bottom of your ribcage and hips. It’s usually sharp with kidney stones and a dull ache with infections. The pain will be constant, and it won’t improve with movement or disappear without treatment. Pain may fluctuate if you’re passing a kidney stone.

Back pain, on the other hand, is more prevalent than kidney pain and typically arises from issues with your back’s muscles, nerves, or bones. Back pain can occur anywhere on your back, but it’s most commonly felt in your lower back or buttocks. Muscle pain presents as a dull ache, while nerve pain creates a sharp burning sensation that may travel down your buttock to your lower leg or foot. Muscle pain may affect one or both sides, but nerve pain usually affects only one side.

Yes, but it takes a long time and can be hard to access.

You should start experiencing relief from your back pain within 1 to 3 days of receiving an epidural injection, but it may take up to a week to notice any improvement. While this treatment may provide permanent relief for some individuals, it is not a cure for back pain. Typically, if you have chronic back pain, the injection may remain effective for 3 to 6 months or more. Facet joint injections are often recommended by doctors up to three times a year, and the positive outcome is expected to last for about four months.

Steroid injections, also called corticosteroid injections, are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat various conditions such as arthritis, joint pain, sciatica, and inflammatory bowel disease.

It will normally take you a few days to recover from back pain injections. It is recommended that you rest and relax for the first 24 hours after the injection in a reclined position. Most patients can resume work 1-3 days following the injection (depending on the job). Icing the site and taking an over-the-counter pain reliever can help with the pain.

Your back might be a little sore for a few days after the injection, but epidural steroid injections are safe. The most common side effects are mild and may include:

• pain at the injection site
• redness of your face and chest called a steroid flush
• trouble sleeping
• anxiety
• hot flashes
• an increase in blood sugar levels
• fluid buildup
• increased back pain
• headache

These side effects should improve without treatment within 1 or 2 days. If your back still hurts a few days after the injection, let your doctor know. If you have more serious side effects, such as bleeding or an allergic reaction, call your doctor’s office right away.

Low back pain accompanied by leg pain, tingling or numbness is often a sign of sciatica. This complaint usually occurs when a disc or other structure presses against the sciatic nerve roots.