Back pain (Lumbalgia) is a very common symptom in the population in the different age groups, so much so that it is often traced back to sudden efforts that one has sustained, intense periods of overwork, even emotional stress or wrong habits in one’s lifestyle, but sometimes it can also be a warning sign for certain diseases that can choose as a target precisely the spine and more specifically the lumbar area.
For example sometimes back pain can be caused by a tear in ligaments or muscles, or by lifting too much weight, or even an inflammation from Arthritis, where a localized pain in the back or other part of the body may subside if you move and change position, but when there seems to be no apparent cause and the symptom persists diagnostic investigations need to be performed, as there can be many diseases at the origin of the symptom.
But what pathologies may be responsible?
- Inflammatory Arthritis.
It is caused by an inflammatory state that can affect different joint districts, but can often affect the lower back with intense pain and especially forcing the affected person into immobility.
This disease does not spontaneously regress but requires specific treatment. - Spinal arthrosis.
A condition in which worn cartilage is the cause of pain because the bones no longer have the “seal” that separates the bones from each other. It is a condition usually related to advancing years, but it can also occur early if the back has sustained damage and the cartilage is worn down. - Sciatica.
It is a condition caused by the sciatic nerve , which runs through each leg from the back down. The sciatic nerve can become inflamed , is sensitive to possible pressures on its surface , such as those caused by a spinal disc moved even slightly.The pain can vary in intensity, but can be intense and disabling. - Disc Disease.
Just as in a car the shock absorbers cushion the blows caused by the road surface so the lumbar discs have the task of acting as soft rings that cushion the bones of the spine from each other. Discs can deteriorate with age or even become damaged due to inflammation or trauma, resulting in pressure exerted on nearby nerves, and severe low back pain.
Anti-inflammatory treatments can improve the condition caused by the disease , or in more complicated cases of specific surgeries. - Osteoporosis.
This condition often as its first symptom goes right to the back and lower back.
It is a condition that thins the texture of the bones making them more fragile and prone to fracture, even very small fractures responsible for bone depletion and also a procured curvature of the spine.
The disease is combated with a diet of vitamin D and calcium-containing foods, and with preventive exercise that tends to fortify the muscle structure, avoiding physical activities such as running, which are particularly contraindicated in Osteoporosis. - Psoriatic Arthritis.
It is a joint disease present in a percentage of patients already interssed with Psoriasis , a dermatologic condition. The mechanisms underlying its development may be genetic or immunological in origin.
It can affect many areas of the body, but often the back with typical lumbar.
In addition to the better-known and recurrent conditions there are still others, rarer or even more difficult to diagnose, that can be the cause of back pain, so if you are affected by occasional or stable low back pain, it is recommended that you discuss it with your primary care physician who will be able to direct you to the most appropriate investigations and treatment systems.
