3 Common Causes of Back Pain

Those who struggle with back pain, whether chronic or acute, often find that it disrupts their job, affects their ability to exercise, and hinders their daily movement and mobility. 

It can come from several different places: issues with the spine, such as discs, vertebrae, and facet joints; problems with surrounding structures, like muscles, ligaments, and nerves; and physical or situational problems.

Age, injuries, and lifestyle choices are three common situational and physical contributors. Because each of these causes requires its own tailored solution, it’s helpful to determine what the source is first so you can figure out your next steps. 

Thankfully, back pain can be managed and treated, and our team at Rocky Mountain Spine & Sport would love to help you find the right solution. Read on to learn more about the events that can cause back pain and how we can help you feel better.

Injuries

Injuries from sports and accidents are one cause of back pain. This pain can be acute, meaning that it lasts for a shorter period of time, or it can be chronic, lasting for much longer stretches. 

Injuries that can lead to back pain include:

  • Sports injuries: Athletes frequently deal with injuries from contact, falling, sudden movements, or joint overuse. 
  • Falls: Falling from a ladder, slipping on a wet surface, or tripping while walking can happen when you least expect it and cause short- or long-term damage to your body. 
  • Accidents: Back injuries may stem from car accidents and workplace accidents as well.

Various issues can result from these events, such as stress fractures, disc injuries, muscle strains, and joint injuries. Further, injuries that are not dealt with when they happen can come back later, grow worse with time, or lead to other issues down the road.

Age

Back pain is commonly experienced in older adults. In fact, a National Health Interview Survey found that 45.6% of people ages 65 and older struggle with back pain, compared to the 35.2% of people ages 30-44 who do.

Degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis are typical risk factors for older adults, and these conditions can lead to pain, inflammation, stiffness, and discomfort. Daily routines, work, and exercise habits throughout the course of your life can also play a role. 

Chronic back pain as an older adult can completely disrupt your life, influencing your ability to bend and walk. If it is severe, you may not be able to work and be forced into early retirement. It can create unanticipated financial challenges, whether from losing the ability to work or facing higher healthcare costs.

It can also impact your mental health. When you can’t move and function how you want to in your day-to-day life, endure financial hardships, or have to miss out on things that you want to do, it can leave you feeling frustrated and discouraged. Further, not being able to exercise to the fullest extent or at all can affect both your physical and mental well-being. 

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle factors are another key cause of back pain. Your body weight can increase your risk of a flare-up for an existing issue. For example, it might place more stress on your spine and exacerbate symptoms.

Regular movement has many health benefits, including helping with weight management. Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle can lead to weight gain, muscle weakness, stiffness, and more pressure on the spine as well. 

Unfortunately, health issues can complicate this. Preexisting conditions, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic issues are just a few of the many barriers that make exercise and weight management much more difficult for many people. 

It is important to understand that while some people can make healthy changes to help with their back pain, others have a more complicated journey. Some people cannot exercise in the first place because of back pain, which creates a circular problem. 

Posture is another factor that can come into play. The way you sit might not create an issue by itself, but it can make a current issue that you are already experiencing grow even worse.

Chronic smokers face a higher risk as well. This is because smoking can damage the blood vessels in your body that are in charge of bringing nutrients to your spine.

Even the job you work can affect your back, whether from heavy lifting, bending down, pushing things, or having to sit for extended periods of time. 

Treatment Options

Thankfully, back pain can be treated, and there are a range of solutions available. At Rocky Mountain Spine & Sport, we are passionate about the body’s potential for true healing, and our treatment options include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Epidural steroid injection
  • Facet injections
  • Medial branch block
  • Perineural injection
  • Physical therapy
  • Radiofrequency ablation (see Intracept® information below)
  • Regenerative injections 
  • Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injection
  • Surgical options

For vertebrogenic pain, which is a certain type of chronic pain in the lower back, we provide a treatment option known as the Intracept® procedure. This minimally invasive method of radiofrequency ablation can lead to lasting relief in patients.

Reach Out Today for Local Back Treatment

We’re here to help you to feel your best and find solutions. We know that back pain can be complex and influenced by more factors than one, and we’re determined to help you identify the source so we can guide you toward long-term wellness. 

Reach out today for more information on how our team of physiatrists can help with treating back pain.