What Causes Lower Back Pain?

Numerous health conditions cause lower back pain. Most of them are benign. However, if you are experiencing pain in your lower back, it is best to get it diagnosed.

What Causes Lower Back Pain?

When it comes to lower back pain, there are no hard and fast rules. If your back pain occurs suddenly, it is likely the problem is acute.

You may have hurt your back in an accident or a fall. If your back pain slowly creeps up on you, it is often an everyday issue which is the cause of your back pain. Bad posture is one of the most common culprits of lower back pain.

Let’s take a look at conditions that may cause pain in the lower part of your back.

Back Pain From Kidney Stones 

Kidney stones are not that uncommon. They are caused by a number of reasons. The most common reasons for kidney stones are certain foods. Believe it or not, rhubarb is known to cause kidney stones.

Other causes of kidney stones are poor hydration and a sedentary lifestyle. If you suspect the cause of your lower back pain is your kidneys, you should seek medical advice immediately.

Kidney pain is often accompanied by feeling unwell or running a temperature.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can also cause lower back pain. If you suspect you are experiencing a UTI, it is vital you visit a doctor. A course of antibiotics can remedy most UTIs.

Many men assume that they can’t experience UTIs. This is not true. Urinary tract infections are as common in men as they are in women.

Can Sciatica Cause Lower Back Pain?

Sciatica can cause lower back pain. Once again, this is a health condition which is common.

If you have sciatica, you may also notice a shooting pain that radiates down into your legs. But, this is not always the case.

Sciatica is also often diagnosed when the pain is in the lower regions of the back. It can present itself as a pain in and around the buttocks or as a slightly tingling sensation.

Once again, if you notice this, it is best to visit a medical professional. The good news is that sciatica is fairly easy to remedy at home. You can try natural remedies including cold and hot therapy.

Exercising also works well when it comes to sciatica. Walking with your arms swinging from front to back is one of the best ways to relieve sciatica.

Other gentle exercises such as swimming, yoga and tai-chi work well when you are experiencing sciatica.

Anti-inflammatory conventional treatments including ibuprofen are safe to use. That being said, there is no reason why you should not try natural remedies including arnica.

Can Poor Posture Cause Lower Back Pain?

One of the most common reasons behind lower back pain is poor posture.

We can experience poor posture at any time in our life. Posture problems are often a result of sitting in the wrong position, exercising or lifting weights incorrectly.

Posture problems may not lead to immediate lower back pain, but over time they can. If you suspect this to be the culprit behind your lower back pain, you may need to use a posture corrector.

There are numerous ways to correct your posture. The most common way is to wear a back support and use an ergonomic chair.

It is not only office workers who experience problems with posture. They are also commonly experienced by long-distance drivers, pilots and others who sit down for long periods of time.

Back Pain From A Sedentary Lifestyle

Not moving enough is another common cause of lower back pain. These days, we spend much more time sitting down than we used to do.

We sit in front of the computer and then in front of the TV. A sedentary lifestyle is another common reason for lower back pain.

If you look at your posture when you sit down, you will quickly realise it puts pressure on the vertebrae in your lower back. When your vertebrae become compressed, the end result is often lower back pain.

When you have a job that requires you to sit down a lot, you want to make sure you are also active. Being active does not have to be complicated. It can be something as simple as going for a walk a couple of times per day.

The more active you are, the less likely you are to experience lower back pain.

Pregnancy and Lower Back Pain

In late pregnancy, many women experience lower back pain. The main reason is extra weight, but it can also be caused by the baby kicking.

If you experience back pain when pregnant, you should discuss it with your midwife.

Your midwife may recommend you use back support during the day or support in bed when sleeping. Don’t forget that lower back pain is also a sign of early labour.

If you suspect your back pain is connected to labour, you should contact the hospital, midwife or pediatrician.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

CFS, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is associated with lower back pain.

It is not the only long-term health condition that can cause pain in your lower back, but it is perhaps one of the more common ones.

Most doctors believe inflammation is behind the lower back pain experienced when you have CFS. This is a complicated health condition. To find relief, it is best to look at your entire lifestyle.

Conventional therapies and natural remedies both work well to manage symptoms of CFS.

Final Thoughts

As always, it is essential that you find out what is the cause of your lower back pain.

Most of the time, lower back pain is easy to manage, but on occasion, it can be an indication that something more serious is wrong. Seek medical advice and find out how you can manage symptoms and reduce your lower back pain.

Brought to you by Your Back Pain Relief