Back pain be it upper or lower, is quite tough to live with. Many individuals face severe lower back pain. It can happen when muscles or tendons in the back tear. Some other causes are arthritis, problems with the way the body is built, and disc injuries. The pain usually goes away with rest, physical therapy, and medicine. Keep your weight in a healthy range and stay active to lower your risk of low back pain.

What is a pain in the low back?

Low back pain can be caused by a number of injuries, conditions, and diseases. Most of the time, it is caused by an injury to the back’s muscles or tendons. Pain can be mild or really bad. Pain can sometimes make it hard or impossible to walk, sleep, work, or do other normal things. Most of the time, severe lower back pain gets better with rest, painkillers, and exercise (PT). Cortisone injections and hands-on treatments (like osteopathic or chiropractic manipulation) can help relieve pain and speed up the healing process. Some back problems and injuries need surgery to fix.

How often does severe lower back pain occur?

Four out of five people will have pain in their lower back at some point in their lives. This is one of the most common reasons why people go to the doctor. Lower back pain is more likely to happen to some people than to others. Some things that can cause severe lower back pain are:

• Age: Back pain is more common in people over 30. The soft, rubbery tissue that cushions the spine’s bones, called discs, wears away over time. As the discs wear down and become weaker, pain and stiffness can happen.
• Weight: People who are obese and heavy have the possibility of facing pain more. Joints and discs feel the pressure of extra weight.
• Overall health: If your abdominal muscles are weak, they can’t support your spine. This can cause back strains and sprains. People who smoke, drink too much, or don’t move around much are more likely to have back pain.
• Occupation and way of life: Jobs and activities that require heavy lifting or bending can increase the risk of a back injury.
• Structural problems: Conditions that change the way the spine is aligned, like scoliosis, can cause severe back pain.
• People with a family history of osteoarthritis, some types of cancer, and other diseases are more likely to have low back pain.
• The health of the mind: Depression and anxiety can cause back pain.

What are the signs of back pain in the lower back?

Lower back pain symptoms can show up all at once or over time. Pain can happen after a certain action, like bending down to pick something up. Sometimes you might not know what hurt you.

Pain can be sharp or dull and achy, and it can spread to your bottom or down the back of your legs (sciatica). If you hurt your back while doing something, you might hear a “pop.” Most of the time, pain is worse in some positions (like bending over) and better when you lie down.

Some other signs of severe lower back pain are:

• Stiffness: Your back may be hard to move or straighten. It might take you a while to get up from a chair, and you might feel like you need to walk or stretch to get your muscles loose. You may find that you can’t move as much as before.
• People who have back pain often find it hard to stand up straight. You may stand “crooked” or bent, with your torso off to the side instead of in line with your spine. You may have a flat lower back instead of a curved one.
• Muscle spasms: Muscles in the lower back can spasm or contract on their own after being strained. Muscle spasms can be very painful and make it hard or impossible to move, stand, or walk.

How can one treat severe lower back pain?

Medications: To ease pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs) like Aspadol 100mg, Oltram 100 mg, and Tapentadol 100mg are the best prescription drugs. The fastest and easiest way to treat pain is using these medications.

Physical therapy also increases flexibility and helps you avoid repeat injury.

Several “hands-on” therapies can relax tight muscles, relieve discomfort, and improve posture and alignment. Massage is also a good option to treat and relieve back discomfort.

Injections: Your physician will use a needle to inject medicine into the painful location. Steroid injections alleviate pain and inflammation.

Surgery: Some injuries and diseases necessitate surgical intervention. There are several minimally invasive treatments available for treating low back pain.