What is back pain?
Back pain describes any pain located in the back. Symptoms include shooting, stabbing, or radiating pain; muscle aches; and limited range of motion and flexibility. The most common location of back pain is the lower back near the lumbar spine.
There are four primary regions of the spine where you can experience pain for different reasons: the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral.
Cervical Spine, or Neck
Muscle, ligament, or tendon strains often cause neck pain.
Thoracic Spine, or Upper Back
Irritation of the shoulder and back muscles or joints typically cause injuries to the upper back.
Lumbar Spine, or Lower Back
Muscle strain usually causes pain in the lower back.
Sacral Region, or Bottom Spine
The sacrum is a bone that lies below the lumbar spine. Injury, damage, or related conditions like a hip problem or herniated disc often cause pain in this region.
What causes back pain?
Back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Back pain can be caused by many factors, including:
- Injury or trauma
- Arthritis
- Ligament or muscle strain
- Bulging, ruptured, or herniated discs
- Osteoporosis
- Skeletal irregularities
Anyone can develop back pain at any time, but your risks can increase because of:
- Age
- Disease
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Being overweight
- Improper lifting
- Smoking
- Psychological conditions
The causes of back pain can lead to temporary or chronic symptoms that vary in severity.
How is back pain diagnosed and treated?
Accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effectively treating your back pain.
As a Level 3 Medical Home, Nassim Medical offers diagnostic techniques that can successfully identify the source of your pain as well as clinically advanced noninvasive medical procedures that can directly treat it.
Dr. Ariel and Dr. Roland Nassim might recommend the following tests to identify the source of your back pain:
- MRI or CT scans
- X-ray
- Bone scans
- Blood tests
- Nerve studies (electromyography or EMG)
Call or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about back pain treatments available at Nassim Medical.
