LOW BACK PAIN EXERCISES, CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT

LOW BACK PAIN

• Pain in the lower portion of the back is low back pain, affecting 80% of the total population.

• It can be acute (pain duration less than 3months) or chronic (pain duration more than 3 months) depending on the cause of low back pain.

• Low back pain can be due to mechanical factors or non-mechanical factors

• Mechanical factors are Habitually Poor Posture, back muscle strain, ligaments sprain, and lower back disc problems, deformities, or injury due to overuse.

• Non-mechanical factors are: systemic illnesses such as nerve damage from diabetes or fibromyalgia 

• Back pain can also occur due to an extra-spinal disease like a genitourinary or gynecological disease.

• A person's occupation also plays a role in low back pain such as sedentary jobs and maintaining the same posture for a long time.

• In most women, pregnancy may be the cause of low back pain.

Top 8 Causes of Low Back Pain

CAUSES OF LOW BACK PAIN

Congenital causes

• Spina bifida

• Lumbar scoliosis

• Spondylolysis

• Spondylolisthesis

• Transitional vertebra

• Facet tropism

Traumatic causes

• Sprain, strain

• Vertebral fractures

• Prolapsed disc

Inflammatory causes

• Tuberculosis

• Ankylosing spondylitis

• Seronegative spend-arthritis (SSA)

Degenerative

• Osteoarthritis

Neoplastic

• Benign

• Osteoid osteoma

• Eosinophilic granuloma

• Malignant

• Primary: Multiple myeloma, Lymphoma

• Secondaries from other sites

Metabolic causes

• Osteoporosis

• Osteomalacia

Pain referred from viscera

• Genitourinary diseases

• Gynecological diseases

Miscellaneous causes

• Functional back pain

• Postural back pain

• Protuberant abdomen

• Occupational bad posture

• Habitual bad posture

SYMPTOMS OF LOW BACK PAIN

• Stiffness can be seen

• Symptoms like paraesthesias, numbness, or weakness

• Abdominal complaints, urogenital complaints, or gynecological complaints may indicate the cause of back pain.

• The patient's mental status can also be the cause of back pain (hysteria, malingering, etc.). A patient suffering from an organic disease may have a significant underlying psychological disturbance also.

• Muscle spasm may be present in acute back pain

• Localized tenderness may indicate ligament or muscle tear

• Limitation of movements of the lower back.

• A cold abscess may be present, indicating tuberculosis as the cause.

TREATMENT FOR BACK PAIN

In most cases, low back pain resolves on its own in two to four weeks after proper rest. 

Physiotherapy and pain relievers can help. A few cases may require surgery.

MEDICATION FOR LOW BACK PAIN

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug

• Relieves pain, decreases inflammation and reduces fever.

• Analgesic

• Relieves pain.

• Muscle relaxant helps to reduce muscle tension and relieve muscle pain and discomfort.

• Narcotic

• Relieves pain, dulls the senses, and causes drowsiness. May become addictive.

• Epidural steroid injection in this injection of cortisone and a numbing agent to suppress pain is injected into the spine. Can relieve back, neck, arm, and leg pain.

PHYSIOTHERAPY FOR LOW BACK PAIN

• Physiotherapy will not only help you to relieve back pain but also prevent further damages and also prevent reoccurrence in the future.

• We have provided a complete program that you can follow at home on regular basis to cure back pain and prevent a recurrence.

• The Program includes Proper rest, Exercise, Modalities, and Postural Correction.

REST:

Proper rest for the first 2-3 days plays a very important role to relieve back pain. Start heat therapy or modalities along with rest. 

Low-intensity exercises that can be started from the first day along with rest

ISOMETRIC ADDUCTOR SQUEEZE EXERCISE

SUPINE PELVIC TILT EXERCISE

HAMSTRING STRETCH 1 EXERCISE

CHILD’S POSE EXERCISE

CAT AND CAMEL EXERCISE

SUPINE PIRIFORMIS STRETCH EXERCISE

GLUTEAL/PIRIFORMIS FOAM ROLLER EXERCISE

Modalities

• TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation): Applying a small electrical current to the affected part of the body to dull the sensation of pain.

• Heat therapy

• Ultrasound (for tenderness in the local area)

POSTURAL CORRECTION

EXERCISES FOR LOW BACK PAIN (only after the severity of pain reduces after the first 2 days of rest and modalities)

This article also contains:

• WHY SHOULD WE DO EXERCISES FOR BACK PAIN?

• WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISES FOR BACK PAIN?

• HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT EXERCISE FOR BACK PAIN?

• HOW TO START YOUR BACK TREATMENT PLAN?

Caution: No doubt that a physical evaluation by a professional physiotherapist should be given priority and follow their advice.