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Back Pain

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About Back Pain

A full 90% of Canadians experience some sort of back pain at some point in their lives. Backaches are the second most common reason why people pay a visit to their doctor’s office. Back pain can happen to just about anyone but some people are at more risk of back injuries:

  • Age — back pain can hit at any age but is more common in people over the age of 45.
  • Weight — people who are overweight or obese may suffer more back problems because of the extra stress on their back.
  • Long stretches of sitting — people who sit for long periods of time (for example, office workers or long-distance truck drivers) can develop back pain because of bad posture or poorly developed stomach and back muscles.
  • Heavy lifters — construction workers, movers and anyone else whose job involves heavy lifting are more prone to muscle injuries and back pain.
  • Athletes — athletes can experience aches and pains from specific repetitive movements and improper mechanics, and occasional injury due to falls.

Different types and common symptoms of lower back pain

Low back pain is the most common type of pain because the lower spine bones (the five lumbar vertebras), muscles and ligaments in this area take the strain when you stand, walk or lift something. Poor posture and sitting for long periods of time can also cause lower back pain. Lower back pain falls into two categories: mechanical and compressive.

1. Mechanical pain is caused by illness or injury to the discs (shock absorbers that rest in between vertebrae), facet joints (located between and behind adjacent vertebrae), ligaments or muscles located in the lower back. Mechanical back pain usually stems from your lower spine but it can spread to your buttocks and thighs. It can even spread to behind your knee if your injury is bad enough. Mechanical back pain is normally caused by a sprain or a strain

  • Sprains happen to the ligaments (which connect bone to bone). If you’ve ever twisted your knee or ankle, it’s likely that you’ve torn or stretched the ligaments. With a sprain comes:
  • Pain — felt immediately
  • Possible swelling
  • Limited to no use of the sprained area due to pain
  • Strains (also known as “pulled muscles”) are injuries to your muscles. They can happen when you stretch a muscle too far or too fast. That causes a tear in your muscle or in the tissues that support them. With a strain comes: 
  • Pain
  • Stiffness
  • Limited use of the strained muscle due to pain

2. Compressive pain is also referred to as neurogenic pain. This type of back pain occurs when the nerves that radiate from your spine become irritated or pinched. This results in numbness, pain and muscle weakness in the area supplied by the nerve. A herniated disc may result in compressive pain.

The pain you feel usually arises from a muscle spasm. A muscle spasm is actually your body’s way of protecting an injured body part by limiting its movement.

Generally, if you experience an injury of some type and can’t stand up straight, bend or move without pain, you’re experiencing a muscle spasm. These spasms can last for 48 to 72 hours and can be followed by days or weeks of less severe pain. More serious injuries can sometimes take months to feel better.

Common causes of back pain

A number of things can cause back pain. And just living your life is one of them:

  • Work — either physically demanding occupations or jobs that require you to sit all day in the same position
  • Day to day activities — overdoing it when playing with your kids, working out at the gym, participating in sports such as hockey or golf, or compressing a whole month’s worth of gardening into one weekend
  • Injury — a slip or a fall, or overworking your muscles while lifting heavy objects

Common symptoms of back pain caused by a herniated disc

Discs are made of cartilage and are hard on the outside but soft on the inside. When the soft material inside the disc bulges and causes the disc to press against your spinal nerve, you have a herniated or prolapsed disc. If the soft material actually bursts through the outer hard layer, it’s called a ruptured disc. A herniated disc in your lower back can cause a variety of symptoms that last a long time, they can be constant, or intermittent, coming and going without warning. These symptoms include:

  • Back pain and leg pain that won’t go away — and gets worse when you cough, sneeze, laugh, urinate or strain when having a bowel movement 
  • Loss of feeling
  • Tingling
  • Muscle weakness

A herniated disc in your neck causes pain in one arm that stretches from your armpit or upper shoulder blade and can travel down your arm to one or two fingers. The pain can also stem from the tip of your shoulder and make it hard to move your fingers. You should see your doctor if you think you have a herniated disc.

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