Tag: Degenerative Disc Disease

How can Upper Back Pain be Helped

Upper back pain may not be as common as lower back pain but it may also induce severe pain and extreme discomfort. It is frequently caused by myofascial pain or muscular irritation and dysfunction on the joint. Degeneration on the upper back discs may occur but this condition is too rarely observed among upper back pain sufferers.

Both the myofascial pain and the joint dysfunction can best be helped with treatments in the forms of:

Active and passive physical therapy and daily exercise

Osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation

Massage therapy or deep massage

Acupuncture

Massage therapy

Injections with a local anesthetic on trigger points

Over the counter medications

Prescription drugs

The back bone is divided into several categories and each are at risk to different factors. As much as lower back pain is a condition that affects the lower portion of the spinal bones (lumbar), the upper back pain is mainly due to irregularities or impairments on the thoracic spine. While the lower spine and the neck are intended to allow us for greater mobility, the thoracic spine is designed to protect the internal organs that the section covers and to help the framework of the body to hold itself in its respective postures.

Because this section of the spinal chord are created for limited movement and more stability, it’s susceptibility to injuries and degeneration is much too less when compared with what the lower back is facing. Additionally, upper back may develop lesser disorders and like herniated spinal disks, degenerative disc disease and spinal stenosis.

Upper back pain may be the resultant of poor posture or extreme trauma. Interestingly enough, the most recent cases documented for upper back pain typically came from people who work continuously in front of computers. Upper back pain often occurs with neck and shoulder pain.

Rarely, thoracic disk disease is the cause for upper back bone. Though this often is the case with lower back pain, the case is the opposite with thoracic back pain since lesser mobility is created with this spinal bone part.

Another less occurring condition responsible for upper back pain is the trauma that may cause the fracture or extreme injuries on the thoracic vertebrae. In this case, there is no room for neglecting the condition. This needs immediate medical assistance via early diagnosis to measure the damage incurred and to formulate the ideal treatment plan.

Facts on Lower Back Pain

In the United States, lower back pain is one of the leading causes of disability, which is supported by the statistics that in every 10 individual, eight may be showing signs of the condition.

Paradoxically, the extent of pain has nothing to do with the intensity of damage afflicted on the patient. Unlike with acute ailments and disease, chronic lower back pain is generally not associated with the height of damage accumulated. A large herniated disc may be relatively painless whereas muscle spasm due to back strain can be a reason for excruciating back pain.

The sponsors for lower back pain may be extremely complex. In most cases, people suffering from it cannot exactly point out the location of concentrated pain or what they exactly feel. This is due to the reason that there are a number of underlying structures located at the lower back that may cause the pain. Listed below are several parts of the spiral anatomy that may be the reasons for pain:

Irritation on the large nerve roots located at the low back that are connected to the arms and the legs.

Irritation in the smaller nerves in the lower back spine.

Strain at the erector spinae, also termed as the large lower back muscle.

Injury/ies on the joints, ligaments and bones.

Injury at the intervertebral disc.

There are cases however that the lower back pain is felt and suffered from yet there are no known anatomical cause or causes to relate the pain with. Though these types of lower back pain may not yet be fully recognized, immediate treatment must still be addressed. However, lower back pain may usually be associated with some general causes. An example of which is the muscle strain on the lower back or more specific diagnosable condition such as lumbar herniated disc or a degenerative disc disease.

Symptoms of lower back pain that are frequently related with surgical approaches:

Bladder incontinence or sudden bowel movement
Progressive weakening of the legs
Continuous low back pain or abdominal pain
Signs of fever and chills that are directly linked with lower back pain
Caner cases
Extreme weight loss
Recent case of trauma, especially when severe

Many people take lower back pain for granted, either by own choice or they are impeded by some irreversible reasons like insufficient and the likes. However, early diagnosis and treatment generally prevent people from experiencing more excruciating pains and higher treatment costs.