Lower Back Pain - 5 Causes of Lower Back Pain

Have you ever heard that you should never diagnose your own pain? Well, it's true and while a doctor is the best individual to diagnose lower back pain, it's beneficial to understand the causes of this common problem so that you are well informed and prepared should you need medical treatment.

Let's examine five of the most common causes of lower back pain:

Back Muscle Strain

Lower back pain can be caused by either pulling a muscle in the back after lifting a heavy object or from over exerting yourself while exercising. If you have poor abdominal muscles, your lower back is even more prone to strains.

A Herniated Disk

Your lower back has soft disks between the spine and bones which allow for movement in your back. As you get older (not necessarily old as this is common amongst 30 and 40 year olds), if your disks are weak or damaged, they can push through a tear in the outer area of the disk causing it to get too cozy up against the surround nerves. If you've ever had sciatica, you will know how painful it is to have your nerves pressed upon.

A bulging disk can cause chronic pain and is usually not isolated to the lower back but also in the legs depending on which disk is bulging and how far it's bulging out.

Kidney Stones

Passing kidney stones is very painful depending on the size of the stone. It is very common to have lower back pain as well as a number of other symptoms such as blood in the urine when you have kidney stones.

The lower back pain can either be a dull aching pain or an excruciating stabbing pain. Many times you will need to see a doctor. My daughter's father passed kidney stones twice during our marriage and I think he was more miserable during those moments than when we divorced! That says a lot for me huh?

The Flu

The flu is a miserable virus and can cause terrible aching lower back pain. Having the flu can cause aches and pains all over the body. After a few days, as the flu virus is attacked by your anti-bodies and you begin to mend, your lower back pain will ease up.

Pregnancy

Men, you can skip this one unless you know something I don't? If you are a male, this shouldn't be a problem for you but with modern medicine, only God knows so maybe you can keep reading.

Pregnant women commonly get lower back pain from carrying this consistently growing human inside. This causes the abdominal muscles and ligaments to stretch which encourage lower back pain.

Now you can go to your doctor if necessary, armed with information about lower back pain causes. In the meantime, alternating warm compressions and a lower back support pad can be helpful to alleviate lower back pain in most individuals.

If your pain does not subside or appears to be getting worst, don't hesitate to see a doctor right away. You may need further medical treatment including an x-ray, CT scan or other medical treatment. Let's not forget that your doctor can also provide you with medication to help with the pain should you need it.