What Causes a Back Pain: Back Pain Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

What Causes a Back Pain

Back pain is one of the most common physical complaints of our time. Almost everyone has felt their back at some point – be it through injury, overuse, lack of exercise, or (apparently) out of the blue.

Back Pain: You Can Do That

The causes of back pain are diverse and should always be clarified by a doctor in the event of severe or recurring pain. Because a specific diagnosis helps immensely in finding the right measures and therapies.

Chronic Back Pain or Just Sticky Fasciae

In the vast majority of cases of back pain, especially chronic back pain, the person affected can usually do a great deal to ensure that it disappears and never comes back. Because mostly it is simply “just” overworked, tense, and shortened muscles and sticky and hardened fascia, which either hurt themselves or which cause pain because they squeeze nerves and/or intervertebral discs.

Such muscle and fascia problems can be treated very well with an individual and holistic therapy program – in case of doubt, of course, after consultation with a doctor, physiotherapist, osteopath, trainer, or similar.

You can already find many videos on the internet on fascia training to loosen your stuck and hardened fascia. You can find a lot of information about fascia problems via the fascia link above.

This is How The Doctor Treats Back Pain

Many sufferers usually go to their family doctor when they have back pain to get a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory injection (a mixture of dexamethasone (“cortisone”) and diclofenac). Especially in the case of lumbago with acute, extremely severe back pain that can no longer give you a clear thought, such an injection may be the first remedy of choice.

If your doctor does not come to you, however, you must at least move around a little to visit his practice. You could also use this limited mobility to look for the videos from Liebscher & Bracht on the Internet and to imitate the exercises presented there for lumbago or sciatica patients. If this does not bring any noticeable relief within the next hour, you can always see a doctor.

Doctors are no longer so happy to give the said injections, instead, they prefer to prescribe oral painkillers, such as Voltaren or ibuprofen in tablet or capsule form. Paracetamol, on the other hand, is not effective and also damages the liver.

In 2015, scientists from the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney found out in more than 1,800 back pain patients that paracetamol had no effect on back pain.

As soon as the acute pain has been resolved, you should definitely take action and take measures to prevent the next lumbago and, in the case of chronic back pain, alleviate or completely eliminate it in the long term.

Few Alternatives For Some Doctors

Even some doctors are already active in the field of alternative medicine and offer more than just a referral to the orthopedic surgeon or the prescription of physiotherapy for back pain.

A few are now actively working with intestinal cleansing or the FX Mayr cure, as they have recognized the holistic connection between intestinal health and general and back health.

However, good physical therapy can also work wonders. Its aim is to build muscle, relax tense muscles, restore mobility and relax tendons and ligaments.

Physiotherapy, however, can ONLY help sustainably and in the long term if the patient learns individually suitable exercises there and also performs these REGULAR and INTENSIVE, ideally several times a day at home. However, a few heat applications, massages, and on-site exercises twice a week will hardly be enough to become symptom-free in the long term.

This is How You Can Treat Back Pain Yourself

Since back pain is often the result of today’s sedentary and sedentary lifestyle as well as other unhealthy habits (smoking, alcohol, lack of sleep), i.e. they are practically self-made.

You can often remedy this form of back pain yourself by using the skewer turning around and changing his lifestyle accordingly. (In the meantime, the saying has become established in medicine: “Sitting is considered the new smoking”.)

Lower Back: Movement For Pain

Movement is the be-all and end-all for chronic back pain. It does not matter whether the pain is in the lower back or in the chest area. The pain in the lower back, however, indicates a predominantly sedentary and sedentary lifestyle.

Get used to more exercise! It may be annoying at first, but persevere, because after a few weeks or months you will get used to it and no longer feel comfortable without the trained movement.

If you have difficulty staying on the ball and keep “forgetting” your exercises at home, then look for a suitable fitness studio where a trainer can take care of you and where there may be special back courses.

Do not just exercise more in everyday life (taking stairs instead of a lift, taking a bike instead of a car, etc.), but make sport and exercise your hobby. Try your way through the different sports until you find something that you enjoy.

If you are in too much pain, stick with the back exercises for the time being. At the beginning, we already mentioned the pain specialists Liebscher & Bracht, who present very good videos on YouTube with the best exercises for both acute and chronic back pain.

There it is also explained very well that back pain does not – as is often believed – result from weak back muscles, but rather from weak abdominal muscles in connection with the hip muscles that are shortened from sitting too much and the back muscles are consequently very tense.

Yoga or Aerobic Walking For Back Pain

Two possible sports methods can specifically help against chronic back pain. Yoga and aerobic walking. A study from Great Britain found that those participants who took part in regular yoga classes felt better in terms of back technology.

Yoga helped with back pain even better than six lessons in the Alexander Technique (see next section). Twenty-four Alexander Technique sessions, however, were again more effective than yoga.

Working in the USA: In the land of “unlimited possibilities”

Another alternative method for back pain is aerobic walking, which according to a study, is just as effective against back pain as extensive physiotherapy.

In this study, half of the 52 study participants received classic physiotherapy, the other half practiced a new form of fitness training, aerobic walking. Here stretching units alternate with phases of quick walking.

You should make sure that you can still talk to each other during training. If you have severe shortness of breath, the training is no longer effective.

An aerobic walking session usually proceeds as follows:

1. Five to ten minutes of moderate walking
2. Five minutes of stretching
3. Thirty to fifty minutes of brisk walking (the heartbeat should be about eighty percent faster than when you are at rest)
4. Five to ten minutes of moderate walking
5. Five minutes of stretching

The study participants initially completed training units of twenty minutes each. But then the duration increased to forty minutes over the course of six weeks.

At the end of the study period, it was found that classic physiotherapy could significantly improve the quality of life of back pain patients. However, aerobic walking training had the same positive effect. What causes back pain.

Aerobic walking can also be done outdoors, so that not only the musculoskeletal system is hardened and exercised, but also fresh air and sunlight ( vitamin D ) can be refueled – which is not the case in the normally closed rooms of physiotherapy practices.

So it is not surprising that the aerobic walking group also felt much better psychologically, as the participants had the feeling that they could do something for their health with aerobic walking and not have to rely on a therapist.

Alexander Technique: The Exercises Against Back Pain

Another very good method against chronic back pain is the so-called Alexander Technique – named after its developer Frederick Matthias Alexander. This is a method in which the students in individual or group lessons become aware of habits in their movement.

These habits are often the cause of pain in the musculoskeletal system, for example, because they lead to one-sided strain or incorrect strain.

Improvements in posture and muscle coordination alleviate health problems. A systematic analysis of eighteen studies on the effect of the Alexander Technique against various diseases showed in 2011 that this method could be very suitable for the treatment of back pain.

The study lasted over a year. After three months and after the end of the study, the test subjects were checked. Those who had received classic treatment still suffered twenty-one days of pain a month. Anyone who had received massage therapy was able to reduce the number of days of pain by seven days, so that half of the month was pain-free with this method.

The Alexander Technique, on the other hand, reduced – after 24 hours of instruction in this technique – the number of days of pain to a whopping three days per month. There are YouTube videos on the Alexander Technique, or you can inquire about courses or teachers in your area at the Alexander Technique Association.

Reduce Your Excess Weight

Obesity is usually one of the consequences of a lack of exercise. If you suddenly move more, then it is also easier to lose excess weight. Obviously, being overweight promotes the development of back pain, since too much weight overloads the entire body structure and thus also the back area.

What Back Pain Has To Do With The Intestines

Many IBS sufferers also suffer from back pain. Apparently for some inexplicable reason. The cause is obvious. Because a sick bowel can lead to back pain – especially in the lower back. But even people who believe that their intestines are okay can in reality have a sick intestine.

The symptoms of a chronically ill digestive system do not always have to include the typical digestive complaints; chronic joint pain, chronic muscle pain, concentration disorders, migraines, skin problems, chronic fatigue, mood swings, depression and much more can also occur. None of these symptoms make you think of the intestine spontaneously, and yet the chronically ill intestine can be behind it and sooner or later lead to back pain.

Chronic Constipation and Diarrhea Can Cause Back Pain

Those who are chronically constipated often get used to it and think it’s perfectly okay to only empty their bowels every few days. But this is not the case, because bowel movements should take place at least once a day.

Otherwise, the intestines torment – and in some people, this agony can spread to the back. Because the stool mass that accumulates in the intestine presses on the sacral nerve in the lower back area: back pain is there.

However, chronic diarrhea, which is common with most IBS candidates, can also lead to back pain. The nerves that lead away from the intestines and towards the intestines come from the lumbar spine. These nerves also lead to the muscles and ligaments that stabilize the lower back. So if the intestine is stressed – for whatever reason – then chronic muscle tension can occur in this area, which in turn results in irritation of the described nerves and thus in back pain.

Back Pain often Goes Along With Bowel and Bladder Problems

There is very little research about this topic. A very interesting one is the one from 2014 that appeared in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. It was found here that the majority of patients who suffer from lower back pain also complained of bowel and/or bladder problems at the same time.

And as early as 2006, researchers in Clinical Rheumatology wrote that ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) – a chronic inflammatory disease of the spine in the thoracic and lumbar spine and sacrum joints) – is often associated with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis), etc.), namely in 5 to 10 percent of the cases. In many more of these patients, intestinal infections could be diagnosed endoscopically or histologically subclinical (i.e. without any symptoms).

Irritated Bowels are often The Cause of Back Pain

Dr. Peter Strauven – a holistic doctor in Bonn – explains on his website that there can be numerous causes of back pain, all of which should be clarified before deciding on therapy. Upper back pain could arise as a result of tooth and jaw problems, thyroid disorders, and chronic sinus infections. What causes back pain.

Even with moderate back pain, Dr. Raised intestinal disorders as a possible cause. And in the case of lower back pain, and irritated bowel is very often the cause. Because an irritated bowel causes cramping and shortening of the largest extensor muscle, M. iliopsoas. The result is a pelvic inclination, a vertebral inclination, and finally back pain.

Food Intolerance Can Also Affect The Back

With “intestinal disorders” very different problems can be meant, such as B. Scarring and adhesions that Dr. Osteopathically examine and treat ostriches. Also, intestinal irritation by z. B. Food intolerance ( lactose intolerance, gluten intolerance, fructose intolerance, etc.) can be the cause of back pain.

If you treat the intestinal problems found – says Dr. Strauven – back pain relief can often be achieved.

Diet For Chronic Back Pain

Diet also has a huge impact on back health. General Practitioner Dr. med. Jochen Handel told us that omitting meat and milk worked wonders for his own back pain (in addition to increased exercise), while the medication had not helped him for a long time.

What could be the reason for the pain relief from such a change in diet? Meat and dairy products are considered acid-forming in naturopathy – and excess acids in the tissue promote the development of pain and tension.

If you eat a basic diet or follow the rules of excess alkaline nutrition, not only are the excess acids drained, the organism is of course also supplied with basic minerals, such as. B. supplies magnesium, which in turn works against back pain as follows:

Magnesium and Vitamin D For Back Pain

With back pain – whether acute or chronic – you should always think about a good supply of magnesium. Apart from the fact that magnesium is known to be relaxing and antispasmodic, Gerry K. Schwalfenberg explains in his study (2011) on the subject of “Can an alkaline diet benefit your health”, by which mechanism alkaline minerals could improve back pain:

Basic minerals increase the blood pH and also the magnesium level of the cell. However, a proper magnesium level alone allows the body’s enzyme systems to work well and also activate vitamin D, which in turn can relieve back pain.

An excess of the alkaline diet with plenty of vegetables, pseudo-grains, and nuts and seeds provides plenty of magnesium, as do alkaline food supplements such as B. Base citrate of effective nature. Pure magnesium supplements such as magnesium citrate or the natural magnesium-calcium combination in the form of the Sango sea coral can also refresh the magnesium balance. What causes back pain.

However, if there is a lack of vitamin D, no matter how much magnesium it can do nothing. Optimizing the vitamin D supply must therefore always be considered so that the magnesium meets enough vitamin D that can be activated.

CBD Oil For Back Pain

CBD oil, which in particular contains the cannabidiol from the hemp flower extract, is generally considered to be relaxing, sleep-promoting, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic – properties that are also indicated for back pain. First studies are for pain relief z. B. in arthritis or fibromyalgia. In the case of back pain, the oil can be used externally and internally – but only in conjunction with the other measures.

Back Pain From Stress

Stress can also lead to back pain. Stress factors that occur particularly frequently are work overload, unsatisfactory everyday work, interpersonal problems, lack of social recognition, worried thoughts and fears about the future, as well as a lack of “support”.

Long periods of stress now lead to permanent tension in the skeletal and back muscles. Stressed people usually find little time for good stress management, enough exercise, and moments of relaxation. As a result, it is only a matter of time before the chronically tense posture will ultimately lead to chronic back pain.

Therefore, always think about good stress management and plan moments in your daily routine that are dedicated to relaxation, e.g. B. with progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness exercises, meditation, or any other relaxation technique that suits you.

FOODS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THE EYES

So-called adaptogens could also be used. These are certain medicinal plants that help the organism to become more resistant to stress so that the usual stress reactions are milder, so it is no longer easy to stress.

The adaptogens include Rhodiola Rosea, but also ginseng, many medicinal mushrooms (e.g. Reishi ), or Ashwagandha (sleeping berry, also called Indian ginseng, is considered one of the strongest adaptogens that have been used in Ayurveda for thousands of years for many ailments).

The Emotional Component: Back Pain Because The Soul is Crying

When even pain therapies in combination with physiotherapy, massages, etc. do not have a satisfactory effect, many sufferers give up. They try to deal with both the pain and the constraints that come with it and eventually come to terms with the fact that the back pain becomes their constant companion. But it doesn’t have to come to that.

Many doctors only look for the cause of back pain in the physical area and consequently, the therapies only take place on this level. From a holistic point of view, however, the physical and psychological (emotional) areas of a person are inseparable.

Therefore, when identifying the cause of chronic back pain, both the physical and the psychological aspects must be taken into account in equal measure. Only a diagnosis that takes both levels into account enables successful therapy for chronic pain.

Back Pain Due To Emotional Conflicts

The back hurts without ceasing, movements are only possible to a limited extent and the spine slowly bends under the pressure that is placed on it by the automatically assumed relieving posture. This is a typical development that takes place in most back pain sufferers.

What to do if both conventional and alternative therapies fail to eliminate back pain? And what to do if the specific cause of the persistent pain despite the use of imaging procedures such as B. computed tomography etc. cannot be located at all? In these cases, it must be assumed that the pain could also be of a psychological nature – caused by emotional conflicts.

This is How Mental Pain Becomes Physical

Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis and one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, was the first to advocate the thesis that primarily emotional pain ultimately results in physical pain. The pain is moved almost intuitively from the mental area into the body. This unconscious relocation of the pain serves to ward off unbearable feelings.

Apples Health Benefits

Grief is z. B. for many people such a feeling. You can’t stand the pain this feeling creates. They can’t handle the loss they have suffered, and sometimes they can’t even weep for it. Instead, they move the pain – completely unconsciously – into the physical realm.

The emotional pain often ends up in the back or hip muscles. The unprocessed (not mourned) loss then shows up in increasingly agonizing back pain, which can then force the person concerned to cry.

Other intense feelings, such as fear, depressed mood, feelings of emptiness and senselessness, or strong feelings of guilt are often unconsciously shifted into the body.

By shifting the emotional conflicts there is an (apparent) relief of the psyche because the whole attention is now on the physical pain, e.g. B. back pain, directed.

Back Pain From Suppressed Aggression?

In many chronic pain patients, it could be shown that their aggressive behavior was noticeably strongly inhibited. And even with people who suffer from chronic back pain, it could be that they suppress their aggressions and thereby unconsciously relocate it to the physical area.

This not only bypasses the intense and uncomfortable feeling of aggression but also avoids the conflicts of conscience and self-reproach that may come with this feeling.

This is an (unconscious) strategy, which consequently brings with it three different mental tensions: aggression, conflict of conscience, and self-reproach.

What Does The Pain Want To Tell Me?

As a result, every painful state always contains significant information from the psychological area. The person concerned wants to make himself aware of his emotional conflicts through the physical pain.

However, since the process of shifting the conflict happens completely unconsciously, this information is rarely heard. For this reason, the following question should ALWAYS be asked with chronic pain, including back pain: What does this pain mean to me?

Four Questions To Find The Cause of Back Pain Caused By The Soul

Answering the following questions can help you to more easily identify the emotional conflicts that are behind your chronic back pain. First, make yourself aware of the task of your back so that you can understand the four questions:

The task of the back is to give the body support and stability and to allow it to walk upright through life. The intervertebral discs also keep it mobile and distribute the pressure on the spine evenly to the adjacent vertebral bodies.

Despite the upright, stable posture of the spine, the flexibility and buffering ability of the intervertebral discs enable us to jump over hill and dale as well as to be able to stretch, bend and turn in all directions. This leads to the following questions:

Question 1: Am I Sincere?

How is my sincerity to myself? Does my physical posture correspond to my mental attitude? Do I show myself to the outside as I really am or do I pretend to be in a wrong state of mind?

Question 2: Can I Let Go?

Am I flexible in my thinking or do I tend to be stubborn (mental immobility)? Am I able to change my mentally rigid posture and let go of old views so that my spine can be flexible again?

Question 3: What Pressure Can I No Longer Withstand?

Who or what is putting me under such emotional pressure? Which person or which situation exerts such pressure on me that my intervertebral discs are no longer able to cope with it? Who or what is preventing me from living easily?

Question 4: What Can I No Longer Bear?

Who or what can I no longer bear emotionally? What person or situation is so damaging to my well-being that I should let go of it? Which intolerable circumstances urgently require change? Is it perhaps even necessary to rethink my mental attitude towards the person or situation in question so that I can enjoy my life again without pain?

Recognizing and accepting the repressed issues is the first step towards healing. The second step, the resolution of the conflict, often requires the help of an experienced therapist.

Answering the following questions can help you to more easily identify the emotional conflicts that are behind your chronic back pain. First, make yourself aware of the task of your back so that you can understand the four questions:

The task of the back is to give the body support and stability and to allow it to walk upright through life. The intervertebral discs also keep it mobile and distribute the pressure on the spine evenly to the adjacent vertebral bodies.

Despite the upright, stable posture of the spine, the flexibility and buffering ability of the intervertebral discs enable us to jump over hill and dale as well as to be able to stretch, bend and turn in all directions. This leads to the following questions:

Solutions To Back Pain

With all of the above hints and tips, you now know what to do with back pain. You have enough tools to get your back pain under control once and for all. First, see what causes could apply to you and then optimize your personal diet and lifestyle accordingly. What causes back pain.

Never forget that movement is the most important component of back pain. If you omit this therapy column out of convenience, your back pain is very likely to stay with you.

However, as soon as you include all the components in your personal therapy concept, you can – like many people before you – get rid of your back pain forever.

 Thanks For Reading…