Acute Low Back Pain

As we age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. Our discs begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae.

Pain can occur when, for example, someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back.

If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward.

This rupture may put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control body movements and transmit signals from the body to the brain. When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, back pain results.

Low back pain may reflect nerve or muscle irritation or bone lesions. Most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back, but pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or other bone diseases, viral infections, irritation to joints and discs, or congenital abnormalities in the spine.

Obesity, smoking, weight gain during pregnancy, stress, poor physical condition, posture inappropriate for the activity being performed, and poor sleeping position also may contribute to low back pain.

Additionally, scar tissue created when the injured back heals itself does not have the strength or flexibility of normal tissue. Build up of scar tissue from repeated injuries eventually weakens the back and can lead to more serious injury.

For more information please call 020 8455 7809 or email us on info@igophysio.co.uk

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