Common Medical Conditions That May Lead To Back Pain

The majority of episodes of acute back pain are due to muscular strain and these will resolve eventually because our muscles possess a good blood supply bringing the essential nutrients and proteins for healing to happen. In fact approximately 50% of patients will feel relief within a couple of weeks and 90% within three months, regardless of the treatment.

For patients that have lower back pain or leg pain that continues longer than three months a more specific therapy for the pain should be sought. In younger adults the disc is most likely to be the main cause of pain and conditions may include:

Lumbar disc herniation - As a disc degenerates, it may herniate which means the inner core leaks out, which is called a disc herniation or a herniated disc. The weak spot in the outer core of the disc is directly beneath the spinal nerve root, so a herniation in this region puts direct pressure on the nerve, which in turn can result in sciatica. Pain that radiates down the leg and is caused by a herniated disc is called a radiculopathy.

Degenerative disc disease - Degenerative disc disease is the term for a syndrome in which a compromised disc causes low back pain. Lumbar degenerative disc disease usually begins with a twisting injury to the lower back, for instance when a person rotates to put something on a shelf or swing a golf club. However, the pain is also often caused by simple deterioration of the spine.

Isthmic Spondylolisthesis - The spine condition develops when one vertebral body slips forward on the one beneath it because of a small fracture in a piece of bone that connects the two joints on the rear side of the spinal segment.

For older people the cause of the back or leg pain is more likely to be osteoarthritis and the associated conditions may include:

Facet Joint Osteoarthritis - Osteoarthritis, also referred to as degenerative arthritis, can cause breakdown of cartilage between the facet joints. When the joints move, the lack of the cartilage causes pain as well as loss of motion and stiffness. The facet joints are situated in the back portion of the spine. The joints combine with the disc space to make a three-joint complex at each vertebral level. The facet joint consists of two opposing bony surfaces with cartilage between them and a capsule around it that produces fluid. The combination of the cartilage and the fluid allows the joint to move with minimal friction. However, facet joint arthritis triggers the cartilage to breakdown and the joint movement is associated with more friction. The patient loses motion and as they get stiffer they have more back pain.

Degenerative Spondylolisthesis - The name is actually Latin for "slipped vertebral body", and it is clinically diagnosed when one vertebra slips forward over the one below it. This condition occurs as a result of the general aging process in which the bones, joints, and ligaments in the spine grow to be weak and less able to hold the spinal column in alignment. This disease is more common in people over fifty but most sufferers are over 65, with women being afflicted more than men.

All these conditions explained relate to the lower back and we have only discussed the most prevalent. There are many other miscellaneous causes, as well as various conditions causing upper back pain and neck pain and in this respect it is easy to see how "back pain" can so easily be wrongly diagnosed.

David A Griffiths has extensively researched upper back pain relief and writes for many internet resources to assist sufferers.