Back Pain
Why do people get back pain ?
People experience back pain for all sorts of reasons. It might be the way they sit or stand, or because their work or lifestyle causes stress and strain on their back. Worry or stress can cause tension in the back muscles, or can delay recovery of existing back pain. Sometimes an old injury, or wear and tear over time, might also cause problems.
The back is a complicated structure of bones, joints, ligaments and muscles. You can sprain ligaments, strain muscles, rupture disks, and irritate joints, all of which can lead to pain. While
sports injuries or accidents can cause back pain, sometimes the simplest of movements—for example, picking up a pencil from the floor— can have painful results. In addition, arthritis, poor posture
and psychological stress can cause or complicate back pain. Back pain can also directly result from disease of the internal organs, such as kidney stones, kidney infections, blood clots, or bone
loss. This is where consulting with a chiropractor can help distinguish the cause and begin to relieve your symptoms or refer you to the relevant specialist if required.
A few interesting facts about back pain :
* Low back pain is the single leading cause of disability worldwide, according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010.
* Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common
reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
* Most cases of back pain are mechanical or non-organic—meaning they are not caused by serious conditions, such as inflammatory arthritis,
infection, fracture or cancer.
* The National Health Service spends more than £1 billion per year on back pain related costs, this includes: £512 million on hospital costs
for back pain patients. £141 million on GP consultations for back pain.
* Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population willexperience a back problem at some time in our lives.
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