Back pain takes different forms and it manifests itself in very different ways depending on the individual. These are pains that affect the spine along its entire length, either at the cervical level or at the lumbar level for example.
It is a disease that is difficult to assess, while it can become disabling, because it is not a disease as such but a set of symptoms of very varied origins.
The first origins of back pain that we think of are undoubtedly the mechanical origins, those which are the cause of wear and tear on the vertebral joints. It can be the consequence of traumas suffered by the back such as shocks, fractures, sprains, etc., or false movements practiced regularly or not. Repeated actions at work, for example, a lot of manual handling or the carrying of heavy loads, can also be the cause of back pain.
Sitting all day, as well as adopting bad postures, whether sitting, standing or lying down during sleep, also lead to back pain. Poor bedding can simply be the cause of back pain.
Less known but just as common as the origin of back pain, flat feet or convex feet have repercussions on support on the ground and can cause painful muscle contractures in the back. Certain eye dysfunctions can also be the cause of bad postures that affect the back.
Being tall, like being overweight, puts a strain on the muscles and tendons in particular, which help our spine to fully play its role and promote back pain.
The types of back pain concerned by mechanical origins are, among others, low back pain, lumbago, herniated disc, degenerative disc disease (degradation of the intervertebral discs), vertebral compression, or even spinal osteoarthritis.
Back pain can be caused by organic and inflammatory origins such as certain infections or inflammatory rheumatism for example. Most of these inflammatory diseases that cause back pain are diseases that affect the joints. Ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that manifests as flare-ups of arthritis and inflammation of tendons and ligaments, is one such disease. It particularly affects the lower spine and causes pain in the vertebrae. In the same way, osteoporosis (decreased bone density) affects the spine (especially in women) and causes pain.
Spinal deformities are also the cause of some back pain. These deformations can have affections like origins. This is the case with spondylolisthesis, a slippage of the lumbar vertebrae often caused by trauma. Scoliosis is one of those spinal deformities that cause back pain.
Many other inflammatory diseases can cause back pain. Examples include osteoarthritis, certain cancerous diseases or primary bone tumors. Cardiovascular diseases (infarction, aortic aneurysm, etc.) can also cause back pain, as well as pulmonary or digestive diseases such as ulcers. Kidney, digestive or gynecological disorders are also singled out as origins of back pain.
Back pain is often associated with psychological discomfort. It is indeed common among depressed people, who encounter problems at work or in the midst of a divorce, for example. Stress and overwork are also the cause of back pain.
Pain should be taken as body language and interpreted as an alarm signal. Back pain is unconsciously a way of expressing a bad life.
Lack of physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle promote, among other things, bad postures that are often the cause of back pain.
Diet also affects our backs, and more specifically the spinal discs, muscles and ligaments of the back. These elements of our body need a balanced and healthy diet so as not to wear out too quickly. If you eat too much protein and fatty foods, if you don't drink enough water or if you eat too many cold cuts, cheeses and fatty meats, you favor the occurrence of back pain.
Smoking can cause back pain. Tobacco has indeed harmful consequences on the blood vessels which bring nutrients to the intervertebral disc, very often the seat of back pain. Tobacco also contributes to reducing the bone mass of the vertebrae which leads to painful compression of them. Finally, smoking increases the risk of coughing. However, coughing causes pressure in the abdomen which wears out the discs and causes herniated discs in particular.
