Back pain

The spinal column is one of the most vital parts of the human body, supporting our trunks and making all of our movements possible. When the spine is injured and its function is impaired the consequences can be painful and even disabling. According to estimates, 80 percent of Americans will experience low back pain at least once in their lifetime. A small number of patients will develop chronic or degenerative spinal disorders that can be disabling.

How is the spine anatomically divided?

The spine is divided into 5 main sections: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx. The vertebrae in each section are numbered according to their location. This system provides health care professionals with a standard for communicating the location of patient injuries. The cervical region of the spine contains 7 vertebrae, the thoracic region contains 12 vertebrae, and the lumbar region contains 5 vertebrae. The sacrum is comprised of 5 fused vertebrae and the coccyx is comprised of 4 fused vertebrae. The structure of the vertebrae in each section of the spine is specific to the function those vertebrae perform.

Back pain is the eighth leading reason for a visit to a doctor. Americans spend $26 billion dollars a year on back pain treatment. You bend over to lift a heavy piece of furniture and as you lift it you feel a sharp pain in your back. You feel pain in your back and down your leg and people tell you it's sciatica. You have been working out after a long hiatus and the next morning your back hurts. You have been doing some very heavy lifting and now you are getting back pain with numbness that runs down the back of your leg into the foot.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?

Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.

The symptoms for back pain are:

Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.

Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.

Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.

Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.

Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back.

Call Your Doctor About Back Pain If:

You feel numbness, tingling, or loss of control in your arms or legs. This may signal damage to the spinal cord.

The pain in your back extends downward along the back of the leg. You may be suffering from sciatica.

The pain increases when you cough or bend forward at the waist. This can be the sign of a herniated disc.

The pain is accompanied by fever, burning during urination, or strong-smelling urine. You may have a bacterial urinary tract infection.

You have urine or fecal incontinence.

You have dull pain in one area of your spine when lying in or getting out of bed. If you are over 50 you may be suffering from osteoarthritis.