Wednesday, 1 August 2012

Where is My Back Pain Coming From?

By Dr. Sandy A. Bell


If you have suffered months or even years of back pain pay close attention to what you read in this article because it is meant just for you.

Evey day in physicians offices around the world back pain patients are showing up looking for solutions.

These physicians are subsequently turning to more nontraditional methods of treatment due to the complexity of back pain. They know that they are limited to medications that have not proven to be very effective for back and are now looking to practitioners such as chiropractors and accupuncturists to help them solve these difficult cases. It's not that family physicians have given up on these patients, it's that they are looking for better solutions to the problems of their patients. They want solutions that involve less medications and a more hands on approach.

So...Why is back pain so difficult to figure out? The reason is because it comes from many different sources in the anatomy of the lower back and can be referred from one place to the other making it very difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the defective tissue. The two most common forms of lower back pain are know as discogenic and nondiscogenic. Discogenic pain means that the pain comes from a disc in the spine which is the cushy structure between the two spinal bones. The other type of pain is known as nondiscogenic meaning that it is derived from sources such as the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the spine.

Mechanical back pain is what we as doctors see most often. This type of back pain can often be described as difficult to pinpoint and most patients will say that it is a dull and achy sensation. You will usually experience this nondiscogenic or "mechanical" back pain when you sit for too long or when you wake up with back pain. It can also result from a direct injury like when you bend backwards too far and feel immediate pain in your lower back.

Discogenic back pain, however, is much more serious and will almost always require the assistance of a chiropractor or physician. With discogenic back pain the victim will often find that there is severe pain in the lower back accompanied with pain running down one or both legs. "Pins and needles" may also be found in the legs and feet.

This type of pain is often referred to as sciatic pain or sciatica. Most patients that come into my office know about sciatica and that it causes pain down the leg, but they don't know that this is most often discogenic back pain in action. The bulging discs put pressure on the nerves that go from the lower back into the leg and cause that nerve tension, or "sciatica."

If you or a loved one are experiencing this type of pain be sure to consult with a physician or chiropractor immediately because discogenic back pain can turn into a chronic a debilitating problem.




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