Lower Back Pain: A Common Problem
Back pain is a common neurological ailment. Men and women are equally affected. It occurs most often between ages 30 and 50, due in part to the aging process but also as a result of sedentary life style.
Job Disability
Lower back pain is a common cause of job-related disability and missed work. Most occurrences of lower back pain go away within a few days. Others take much longer to resolve or lead to more serious conditions.
Acute Lower Back Pain
Acute back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. Most acute back pain is mechanical in nature, the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis.
Pain from trauma may be caused by:
Symptoms
Symptoms may range from muscle ache to shooting or stabbing pain, limited flexibility and/or range of motion, or an inability to stand straight.
Lower back pain unrelated to injury or other known cause is unusual in pre-teen children, although, heavy backpacks can strain the back.
Chronic Lower Back Pain
Chronic back pain is measured by duration, pain that persists for more than 3 mo's is considered chronic. It is often progressive and the cause can be difficult to determine.
Risks of lower back pain from disc disease or spinal degeneration increase with age.
