“Why Does My Back Hurt?” – West Orange Back Dr Answers

A sprain or strain

The words sprain and strain are sometimes used interchangeably, but they do mean two different things. Put simply, a sprain is described as an injury to a ligament. Ligaments have the job of supporting the spine, as well as the facet joints. A strain, on the other hand, is an injury to a muscle or a tendon. Tendons are fibrous bands of tissue that bind muscle to bone.

Both spinal sprains and strains may occur as a result of a trip and fall incident, poor body mechanics (improper lifting, for example), a car accident, or a variety of other factors. These are typically very painful and can restrict movement temporarily. In more serious cases, patients may need physical therapy to completely eliminate discomfort.

Compression of the spinal nerve

The longest and, unsurprisingly, most well-known nerve in the body is the sciatic nerve, which starts at the lower back and goes all the way through the hips and legs. Still, there are other ramifications and nerves in the spine as well. When the root of one such nerve gets squeezed, pinched, or compressed, it will quickly become inflamed and will begin transmitting pain signals to the brain.

There are some conditions that can cause nerve compressions, including herniated disks, bone spurs, or thickened ligaments, but it can also be a result of sleeping, sitting, or standing in an uncomfortable position. If the pain does not seem to go away shortly, it is advised you see a doctor and discuss the most suited pain management options.

Herniated disc

A herniated disc happens when the protective exterior layer of the disc, called the annulus fibrosus, breaks, and the nucleus spills through the rupture. In many of these cases, the rupture will compress a spinal nerve root, resulting in back pain.

Depending on how severe the rupture is, how much it pushes on the nerve, as well as the location of the disc herniation in the lower back, individuals can also experience buttock, thigh, or leg pain. Back pain is usually vague and may not have a precise spot. Leg pain, on the other hand, usually follows particular patterns that correspond to specific nerve root discomfort. This helps specialists determine where in the spine the rupture has occurred.

The patient may be diagnosed with sciatica. The term sciatica refers to a group of symptoms that occur when the sciatic nerve is compressed. Sciatica is also widely used to describe discomfort in the lower back, buttocks, and thigh, but true sciatica is characterized by pain that follows a particular nerve root pattern.

Degenerative disk disease

Degenerative disc disease happens due to many age-related spine issues. It is not, in fact, a disorder, as it is more of a term used to describe the changes that spinal components go through as they age, happening due to changes that happen on a cellular level. Another example of such changes are wrinkles and grey hairs.

When we get older, water volume in the intervertebral disks decreases, which causes these discs to change their shape and size. This change can affect the space that already exists between the two discs, narrowing nerve passageways.

Because the discs and facet joints work together, too much pressure applied on the spinal discs can be transmitted to the facet joints, resulting in a number of issues that cause back pain.

Other conditions

Albeit uncommon, there are also some severe causes of back pain that may result in significant health issues – spinal infections and spinal tumours.

Bacterial or fungal infections of the spine are a rare source of back pain. They may affect the intervertebral disks, spinal bone, spinal cord, or the region that surrounds the nerve roots, causing severe pain if not addressed as soon as possible.

Spinal tumors can be either benign (do not cause cancer) or malignant (can cause cancer). They are characterized as irregular growths, known as neoplasms, and may be either primary, meaning the tumor has developed inside the spine, or metastatic, meaning it has spread from another part of the body.

If you are looking for a pain specialist, don’t hesitate to contact Pain Treatment Specialists as soon as possible. Come and visit us at our West Orange, NJ Pain Center near the Essex Country Club where the best back doctors are ready to help. You can also give us a call at (855) 383-7054 or book an appointment online today!