It was estimated that around 84% of adults had experienced low back pain at any time of their lives. Low back pain ranges from mild to severe pain. Low back pain can interfere with your daily activities and routines. This health issue can also affect your career, your social life, and your mental well-being. You might start taking so many leaves, unable to perform certain tasks at work, and can’t focus at your job as the pain can be disturbing. Get answers by DoctoronCall to help you understand more about any health issues including lower back pain.
Your social life can be affected as well as the pain worsens. Low back pain will stop you from enjoying your hobbies, stops you from having a quality outing with family members or friends, and may even stop you from socializing via social media. The pain can be intense that it will affect your mental well-being. You might become irritable, angry, sad, hopeless, and lack of self-confidence. From a simple pain, it may progress to give you more life issues.
We doctors always believe that prevention is better than cure, but if you already suffer from any health issues, seek medical attention as soon as possible. The medical staff is always there to help you. The risk factors for developing back pain are:
- Obesity or overweight
- Smoking
- Female
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Psychological disturbances
- Strenuous physical activities
The causes of low back pain are:
- Spinal cord compression
- Bone cancer
- Backbone infection
- Backbone fracture
- Radiculopathy
- Osteoarthritis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Scoliosis
- Kyphosis
- Psychological disturbances
- Other causes not related to the backbone and spinal cord
A complete medical assessment is needed before a diagnosis is made and the specific cause is identified. Complete medical assessment includes history taking, physical examination, and investigations. Investigations will also include radiographic assessments such as an x-ray of the back. When the specific cause has been identified and diagnosis is made, then only treatment can be started.
Low back pain can be broadly classified into:
- Acute (up to 4 weeks)
- Subacute (4 weeks to 12 weeks)
- Chronic (more than 12 weeks)
Patients who suffer from lower back pain for less than four weeks will not need any imaging studies. However, there are a few red flags that give us a clue that low back pain is serious. The red flags are:
- Old age
- Prolonged use of steroids
- Severe injury or trauma
- Presence of abrasion or contusion
Low back pain can sometimes happen with an active infection. This will need different management strategies. The same goes for patients with bone cancer. The treatment of low back pain depends on the causes. The treatment ranges from supportive treatment to aggressive treatment. The main message is for you to take immediate action in dealing with your symptoms or health issues. Immediately seek medical attention and work closely with your physician to achieve a cure.
Neglected symptoms always result in more serious health complications, life-threatening conditions, disabilities, higher medical bills, and longer hospital stays. Stay proactive in dealing with your health and the well-being of your loved ones. The chances for recovery are always high when a disease is detected early and immediate treatment is given. Get answers by DoctoronCall to help you understand more about any health issues including lower back pain.
