Back pain

Back pain may be in one specific place or it can radiate into the leg (commonly known as sciatica). The pain may be a dull ache or be very sharp pain. It ranges from mild to extremely debilitating and may last for short periods of time or be continuous. The terms acute and chronic describe the duration of the pain:

• Acute - lasting less than six weeks
• Sub-acute - lasting six weeks to three months
• Chronic - lasting longer than three months

There are many potential causes of back pain. Some of the more common predisposing factors are:

• Poor posture
• Prolonged periods of time standing sitting or bending and twisting
• Lifting with poor technique, especially whilst bending and rotating the low back
• Traumas, such as accidents knocks and falls
• Emotional stress can be a trigger for back pain, particularly in combination with other predisposing factors
• Obesity can change your posture and put more stress onto the back

Back pain is very commonly the result of misaligned vertebrae, strained muscles and sprained ligaments in the lower back area. These misalignments can create an area of inflammation and cause pain.