Low back pain is increasingly becoming one of the common problems among people with hectic work schedule and busy life. But how is it caused and how to overcome it? Read on and find out..

In today’s hectic work schedule and busy life, many people are more prone to various illnesses. Among them, muscle strains and lumbar sprains are the commonest ailments faced by people.  Both are also the most common causes of low back pain.

Abnormal stretching of muscle fibers causes low back muscle strain. Whereas, a lumbar sprain occurs when the ligaments which are the tough bands of tissue that clench bones together are almost torn from their attachments. However, both are hard to distinguish as they share some common symptoms.

But, some symptoms associated with the serious injury to the spine are:

• Loss of control of bladder or bowels
• Progressive lower extremity weakness
• Severe, constant pain

How to distinguish sprains and strains of the low back, or are they common?

Both spinal column and weight of the upper body are supported by the muscles called paraspinal muscles. Besides, tough ligaments connect five lumbar vertebrae which help to maintain the position of the spinal column.

All three, muscles, ligaments, and bones, work together to provide control and strength for nearly all activities. Any disturbance to their working in form of overstrain or a bigger problem such as injury prevents a person from performing daily activities.

Probable symptoms of a low back injury

Unlike spine injury symptoms, which cause pain or severe problems in the legs, most lumbar muscle strains and sprains cause problems to the low back. Few common symptoms of a lumbar strain or sprain are as follows:

• Low back muscle spasm
• Pain in the low back region and upper buttocks
• Pain that arises due to activities but subsides by taking rest

What causes low back pain and spasm?

Any strain or sprain to the lumbar spine causes inflammation of the soft-tissues which further results in pain or sometimes muscle spasm. Some people engage in a work which involves performing activities with sudden forceful movements, or lifting heavy weights, or twisting the back in improper ways. Performing activities in these unusual manner leads to low back pain and spasm. However, consulting a doctor and getting acquainted with the correct ways to perform above mentioned activities would prevent low back pain.

Besides, there are some other factors that may lead to low back pain. They are:

• Obesity
• Smoking
• Poor conditioning

How to overcome lower back pain?

Some common ways of treatment of lower back pain are:

Rest

Adequate rest would help to get rid of the lower back pain. Rest helps to abate the inflammation associated with muscle spasm. Hence, bed rest is one of the best ways to reduce pain due to back problem.

Medications

Usually, anti-inflammatory medicines or muscle relaxants are prescribed for treating problems due to lumbar back strain. They not only help to control inflammation caused by over strain or injury but also reduce unbearable pain associated with them. There are several options for both medications. Hence, consultation to the doctor is a must as they would prescribe the right drug for a person.

For patients suffering from spasm symptoms, muscle relaxant is one of the recommended medications. Again, there are many options in this case. Hence, doctor would be the person to recommend appropriate medicine with the right dosage.

Physiotherapy and exercises

Combination of physiotherapy and some light exercises would help one to recover from lumbar back pain quickly. They would also help to strengthen the back muscles and reduce inflammation, making recovery from low back injury fast.

A good understanding of lower back problem is the first step toward its treatment. This could be done by consulting a physician. Once the underlining problems of the cause are well understood, one can proceed with the treatment.

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