Back pain is caused by a number of different factors, but if you have back pain, the cause probably fits into one of the following 3 categories:
Disc Herniation
In between each bone in your back (or vertebrae) you have a disc which is made of very thick fibrous tissue that surrounds a gel core. You maybe have symptoms when that gel core is pushed out of place (herniation) and presses on a sensitive structure like a nerve. A disc can herniated for a number of reasons; sometimes it is caused by doing a lot of heavy physical labor. A disc can be painful right at the place of herniation, or can cause pain to travel down a nerve in the leg.
Disc Degeneration
Degenerative disc disease is a condition in which a painful disc causes low back pain. The condition generally starts with an injury to the disc. The injury weakens the disc and stops it from being able to hold its segment together as it used to. It is important to note though, that disc degeneration is part of the natural process of aging and does not necessarily lead to low back pain.
Sciatic Nerve
Sciatic nerve pain, or sciatica, is pain that travels down the large sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of the leg. Usually the pain is only on one side. The pain from sciatica can range from severe and debilitating to infrequent and mostly just irritating. Most sciatica pain is cause by temporary inflammation and will get better within two weeks to a few months with proper treatment by your physiotherapist.
TREATMENTS can include: Exercises to increase your muscle strength or core stability and stretch out tight muscles Advice to prevent re-injuring by making changes to your normal life activities Loosen tight joints and muscles and ease your symptoms.
If you have any questions or would like additional information on this matter please speak with your physiotherapist at any of our three locations which can be found at our Orleans physiotherapy, Westboro Physiotherapy and Barrhaven Physiotherapy locations.
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