What Is Lumbar Spine Pain And How To Manage It

About eighty percent of the adult population in the United States is known to suffer from a lumbar spine pain or a lower back pain. It is one of the greatest problems faced by patients and physicians alike. It affects the flexibility, strength, and stability of the spine. It further leads to stiffness and discomfort in the lower back.

There are symptoms which clearly indicate whether the pain you are experiencing can be a lumbar spine pain or not. The foremost symptom is, naturally, some pain along with a stiffness or tenderness in the lower back. The pain is generally found to aggravate in the legs.

If you experience some discomfort while sitting or standing in an erect position for a long time and fatigue in your legs while walking, there is a distinct possibility that you are suffering from lumbar spine pain.

There is no sure shot way to find the root cause of a lumber spine pain in order to apply a lumber spine therapy. However, there are some basic guidelines employed by the medical experts to identify the cause.

Physicians generally divide lumbar back pain into two types: purely axial, and radicular/radiating lumbar spine pain. If the pain is originating from osseous structures, soft tissues or joints, then the patient may be suffering from mid line low-back pain. Etiologies both common and uncommon are considered to be the cause. This type of pain is known as purely axial pain.

If the pain is originating from the adjacent discs and facet joints, then peripheral nerve lesions and spinal nerve compression are considered to be the cause. Such a pain are known as radiating lumbar spine pain.

However, not all types of radicular pains originate from the spine. In reality, sometimes a pain caused by lower vascular pathology and limb joint pathology among others are considered radicular pain, with or without obtaining the radiographic evidence.

As they say prevention is better then cure, therefore the best thing is to take adequate measures to prevent lumbar spine pain. One should do some lumber exercises regularly for strengthening the back muscles. Maintain a healthy weight and there is a huge chance that you'll never be affected with lumbar spine pain. Losing weight can also reduce the pain if you are already suffering from it.

If you experience lumbar spine pain, then you should learn to lift and bend without putting any kind of stress on the spine. You should sleep on a firm mattress; and sit on chairs that provide adequate support to the spine.

Remember lumbar spine pain is not a comfortable condition to live with, so try avoiding it as long as you can.

Degenerative Spine