Common Causes of Chronic Lower Back Pain

That sharp pain in your lower back that you’ve had for months just won’t go away, and now you’re wondering what caused the constant discomfort. Did it happen during a workout? Was it while you were shoveling snow last week? Or could this be from an old sports injury? Honestly, it’s less about trying to pinpoint the activity or event that occurred, and more about determining what the root cause or underlying condition is. 

There are a number of reasons that could have attributed to your chronic low back pain. Understanding the cause of the pain is the first step taken by the specialists at Innovative Pain & Spine in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska to help you find the right treatment that will relieve your pain.

What is Chronic Low Back Pain?

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke defines chronic pain as pain signals that keep firing in the nervous system for weeks, months, even years. Low back pain is one of the more common chronic pain complaints. With chronic low back pain, the symptoms are gradual, not like acute back pain which comes on suddenly and goes away within a few weeks. One thing is clear: chronic low back pain can keep you from doing activities of daily living and enjoying life.

People can experience a range of pain, from feeling like a dull, constant ache to having sharp intense pain that comes on suddenly and leaving you unable to function. Chronic low back pain affects about 20% of individuals who have back pain. 

The lower back is a complex system of vertebrae, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. It includes the L1-L5 vertebrae which have spaces between each of them. The spaces are there to cushion the bones by absorbing the compression throughout the spinal column as the body moves. Ligaments hold the vertebrae in place, while tendons connect the muscles to the spinal column. The nerves send signals to the brain. With chronic low back pain, your brain receives the signal of pain whenever your body moves.

The pain medicine specialists at Innovative Pain & Spine offer various treatment options that can alleviate or reduce low back pain.

Factors that can Contribute to Low Back Pain

There are many factors that come into play when diagnosing chronic low back pain. Let’s start with identifying some factors that can contribute to this condition.

Your age. Low back pain becomes more prevalent as you age. Loss of bone strength, muscle tone, and fluid in the discs can affect your back’s ability to support the weight of the body.

Type of work you do. Whether it’s working in a job that requires heavy lifting, pulling, twisting, or other movements that affect your back, or sitting at a desk that is not ergonomically set up correctly for you – these factors can play a role in developing low back pain. 

Exercise or lack thereof. Strengthening the muscles in your back is key to preventing a back injury. A regular routine of exercise can help to support the low back muscles. If there is no fitness, or if you only are active once in a while, your risk is higher for injury when you do engage in activities.

Maintaining a healthy weight. Manage your weight so that you don’t put added stress on your back which can lead to low back pain. 

Common Causes and Diagnosing Low Back Pain
Identifying the source of the pain is the first step on your road to finding the right treatment and to feeling better. Some of the more common causes of chronic low back pain are:

  • Sprains or Strains
  • Traumatic Injury
  • Disc Degeneration
  • Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis
  • Nerve Compression
  • Spinal Cord Problems

A comprehensive evaluation is performed by Innovative’s pain management specialists. Understanding your medical history, how long you’ve had the pain, and what therapies and treatments have already been done will determine the next steps to take. Some tests may need to be performed, such as a blood test, a bone scan, and imaging like x-ray, CT, or MRI, to help the physicians zero in on the source of your pain.

Once the evaluation is complete, treatment options can be considered. The physicians at Innovative will discuss with you various treatments that have been proven effective in reducing or eliminating chronic low back pain. From medical management to rehabilitation therapies to interventional procedures such as Kyphoplasty, Radiofrequency Denervation, and Spinal Cord Stimulation, or a combination of treatments, you can be assured that together, you and our physicians will develop a treatment plan that works best to relieve your pain. 

Next Step

It’s important to find a provider who specializes in chronic back pain. Someone who has training and experience to help you with your pain issue. Someone you feel comfortable with and can trust with developing your treatment plan and recovery. That’s what you’ll find at Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists.

If you have been living with chronic low back pain and are ready to find relief, call Innovative Pain & Spine Specialists in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska at 402-413-5010 and schedule an appointment today.

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