Can Lower Back Pain Be Related To Weather
If you feel like your lower back pain worsens on days when its cold or the weather is changing, you are not imagining things. Back pain can indeed be related to barometric pressure and outdoor temperature. Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine. Muscles and joints in general react to the environment, which can make them stiffer and more likely to suffer an injury.
What Are The Warning Signs Of A Serious Problem
Very rarely back pain or pain that travels down the leg is a sign of a serious problem.
If you have any of the following symptoms, you should seek urgent medical attention:
- difficulty controlling or passing urine
- loss of control of your bowels
- numbness around your back passage or your genitals
- serious weakness in your legs so you find standing really difficult
- severe and ongoing back pain that gets worse over several weeks.
The above symptoms could potentially be linked to a rare but serious condition that needs urgent medical attention.
You may be sent for tests if:
- youve had an injury to your back, for example a bad fall
- your doctor suspects that there may be an underlying cause for your pain
- the pain has lasted for an unusually long time.
In this case a magnetic resonance imaging scan or computerised tomography scan may be needed.
X-rays are much less commonly used because back pain is often caused by problems with soft tissues, such as ligaments and muscles, which cant be seen on x-rays.
Changes to the spine as a result of spondylosis can show up on x-rays. These common changes that happen to us all can appear on x-rays without people having any pain or problems. Because of this, x-rays arent particularly helpful.
Remember that sometimes even after a thorough investigation it might not be possible to say for certain what is causing back pain.
Back Wrecker #: Poor Lifting Technique
“Improper bending and lifting causes back injury that’s all there is to it,” says Dan McMackin, a spokesman for UPS.
Prevent it: Engage your abs to help support your back. Here are the basic principles that UPS uses for safe lifting, according to McMackin:
- Bend your knees and keep your back straight. Don’t bend at your waist.
- Keep the object close to you. The farther away you hold it from your body, the more it stresses your back.
- Never hold an item higher than your armpit or lower than your knees.
- Don’t move something that weighs more than 20% of your body weight.
- Don’t pivot, twist, or turn while lifting. Point your feet at the item you’re lifting and face it as you pick it up. Change direction with your feet, not your waist.
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How Is Back Pain Treated
Acute back pain usually gets better on its own. Acute back pain is usually treated with:
- Medications designed to relieve pain and/or inflammation
- analgesics such as acetaminophen and aspirin
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen may be sold over the counter some NSAIDS are prescribed by a physician
- muscle relaxants are prescription drugs that are used on a short-term basis to relax tight muscles
- topical pain relief such as creams, gels, patches, or sprays applied to the skin stimulate the nerves in the skin to provide feelings of warmth or cold in order to dull the sensation of pain. Common topical medications include capsaicin and lidocaine.
Exercising, bed rest, and surgery are typically not recommended for acute back pain.Chronic back pain is most often treated with a stepped care approach, moving from simple low-cost treatments to more aggressive approaches. Specific treatments may depend on the identified cause of the back pain.
Cause Of Lower Back And Gluteal Pain & Ways To Get Rid Of It
The lumbar spine which is also known as the lower back is a marvel in the human body. The interconnecting bones, joints, ligaments, nerves, and muscles in the lower back work in sync to provide support, flexibility and strength to the body. The lower back and gluteal region faces so much pressure every day that it is considered one of the easiest areas in the body to get injured. In most of the cases, if you are feeling pain in the lower back and gluteal region, it goes away with a couple of days of rest.
However, in some cases, lower back and gluteal pain keeps on increasing and spreads to the lower portion of the body till the foot.
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Get Enough Restorative Sleep
Pain is a leading cause of insomniadifficulty with falling asleep and/or staying asleep. Inadequate sleep can also make your back pain worse. This vicious cycle makes it more difficult for you to get restorative sleep.
See Restorative Sleep Brings Back Pain Relief
Getting enough restorative sleep is needed for the bodys tissues to heal and recharge energy levels. If you have trouble sleeping, it is important to address pain or other factors that are causing it. Your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes, medications, or other treatments depending on what is disrupting your sleep.
How To Diagnose A Herniated Disc
Your doctor or chiropractor will need to do a physical exam, followed by some questions about where and when the pain started.
Imaging tests will need to be taken to confirm if you have a bulging disc or a herniated disc. Common imaging could include an MRI, X-rays, or CT scans.
This combination of information will allow your chiropractor or doctor to make a diagnosis about the root cause of your low back pain.
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Is It Possible To Prevent Low Back Pain
Avoiding injury to the low back is a method of preventing low back pain. Additionally, conditioning exercise programs designed to strengthen the lumbar area and adjacent tissues can help to minimize risk of injury to the low back. Specific programs to relieve and prevent back pain can be designed with the help of physical therapists and other treating health care professionals.
Back Wrecker #: Weekend Warfare
“Most often, I see people who injured themselves during a weekend basketball game or a round of golf,” Shamie says. “These people think they’re athletes, but don’t train like the pros, and as a result, their backs suffer.”
Tackling those “Honey Do” lists at home can also set you up for injury, especially if you were idle for most of the week. Cleaning out the garage, bending over a workbench, or spending hours in the yard or garden can be just as hard on your back as anything you do on a playing field.
Prevent it: “The only preventive solution I’ve found for back pain is exercise,” says Michael Hisey, MD, orthopedic surgeon and president of the Texas Back Institute in Denton, Texas. “The fix is to stretch and strengthen your core muscles.”
The obliques — the abdominal muscles on your sides — are especially important for back stability, Hisey tells WebMD.
Hisey’s tip: Get an inflatable exercise ball. Use it in your workouts and sit on it, instead of a chair, to engage your abs.
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Secret#: Sit Up Straight And Don’t Slouch
How many times did you hear your mother say, Sit up straight! or Dont slouch, youll ruin your back!? We are betting she said this a hundred times and you know what? Mom really does know best. She was absolutely right.
Believe it or not, bad posture, whether just sitting or standing or lifting, places a huge load on your lumbar spine, which will aggravate a herniated disc.
While bad posture might not actually cause a disc to rupture, it certainly isnt doing it any favors. The discs in our spines become harder and less flexible as we age. If a disc is already bulging, an incorrect posture will increase the severity of the problem.
If you are unsure about your posture, whether sitting, standing, lifting, or exercising, speak to your chiropractor. They can guide you and advise you on the best methods for improving your posture. Your mom will be proud.
What Exactly Is The Lower Back Anyway
Your lower back is known as the lumbar region of the spine. It has a lot of heavy lifting to do: The lumbar spine carries the weight of your entire upper body, plus biomechanical stresses that occur with movement.
The lumbar spine has five vertebraebackbones. Each vertebra has a large disc cushiony gel wrapped in a tough membrane on its front side that acts as a shock absorber. Each vertebra also has two cartilage-lined facet joints on its back side. Working together, discs and facet joints allow the spine to safely bend and twist.
Your lower back also includes ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Ligaments are strong bands that hold the vertebrae and discs together. Tendons attach muscles to the vertebrae. These structures help limit excessive movement that could harm the spinal cord.
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Lifestyle Changes To Help Prevent Gas
1. Eat smaller portions of foods that cause you gas
2. Eat more slowly
3. Chew foods well
4. Dont chew gum, smoke or drink through a straw as they can cause excessive swallowing of air
5. Avoid carbonated beverages
Gas pains can be mistaken for certain serious conditions including:
- Heart disease
- Pain in the lymph nodes of the throat, armpits or groin
- Unusual fatigue
Treatment: How To Get Rid Of Lower Back And Gluteal Pain
In many cases, simple rest can help in reducing the lower back and gluteal pain. However, in some cases, you will need medical attention. As there are a number of reasons that can cause lower back and gluteal pain, it is important to understand what is causing it. If you are more of a desk jockey and work majorly while sitting, it puts pressure on your lower back and gluteus region and it will start paining eventually. On the other hand, if you are very active and indulge in sports, an injury can cause lower back and gluteal pain.
Based on the causes, the doctor can prescribe rest, medicine, change in diet, change in lifestyle and even in some cases surgery to get rid of lower back and gluteal pain. It is very important to understand the treatment care, which will help to avoid lower back and gluteal pain for the rest of your life.
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What Are Some Other Causes Of Lower Back Pain
The shape of your spine, and well as spinal diseases, are other culprits in lower back pain. Depending on a range of factors, your doctor may look for:
Abnormal spinal curvature. A normal spine resembles a gently curved letter S when seen from the side. Abnormal curves include:
- Lordosis, in which the spine curves too far inward at the lower back
- Kyphosis, in which the spine is abnormally rounded in the upper back
- Scoliosis, in which the spine curves from side to side, often in a C shape
Normal and abnormal curves of the spineArthritis. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, many of which can cause lower back pain. The most common types include osteoarthritis , rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis.
Cauda equina syndrome . Compression of the bundle of nerves that forms below the spinal cord in the lumbar spine. It is a rare but serious disorder that requires immediate medical attention and possibly emergency surgery. CES got its name from the fact that the fanned-out bundle of nerves resembles the base of a horses tail.
Discitis or osteomyelitis.Both infections of discs and bone can cause severe pain and require prompt medical attention.
Spinal tumors. When cells divide and multiply unchecked, the result is a tumor. Both benign and malignant tumors can cause lower back pain. They can either originate in the spine or metastasize there, meaning theyve spread from somewhere else in the body.
What Does It Mean If Lower Back Pain Is Shooting Into Legs
Lower back pain can radiate to other parts of the body: up or down from its place of origin. Sometimes lower back pain can be on one side of the back, which is also normal.
If the pain is shooting from the lower back into one or both legs, it could be sciatica , but its not always the case. There are many parts in the lower back that may cause the pain to radiate into the legs, such as facet joints, sacroiliac joints, muscles or inflammation of the bursa.
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How To Get Rid Of Lower Back Pain Fast
A stitch in time saves nine, and so it is in the case of back pain too. If you have a back pain that is troubling you slightly, then it is time to take note of it and do something about it.
The options available are wide like yoga, physical therapy or spinal manipulation, acupuncture and massage therapy.
How To Get Rid Of Gas Conventionally
When gas pains are severe and reoccur frequently, a trip to the doctor is in order. It is important to receive a proper diagnosis for the cause of the gas pain as some potentially serious conditions can present with bloating and pain.
In addition to a medical history and physical examination to check for distension, your physician will review your diet and perhaps order tests. Commonly requested tests include: blood tests, lactose intolerance tests, fructose malabsorption tests, colon cancer screening and, in some cases, an upper GI series of X-rays.
If persistent gas pain is determined to be caused by an underlying health condition, successful treatment of the condition should help to relieve symptoms. In other cases, your physician will often recommended dietary changes, lifestyle modifications and over-the-counter medications.
Medications recommended may include:
- Beano: Made from a sugar digesting enzyme, this medication may be recommended to help you digest the sugar in vegetables and beans.
- Lactase Supplements: A supplement made from lactase, the digestive enzyme that helps to breakdown lactose.
- Bisumth Subsalicylate : A medication that generally reduces the odor of flatus. This medication should not be taken long-term or if you have an allergy to aspirin.
- Simethicone Antacids : Medications that help to break up the bubbles in the gas, making it easier to expel.
- Antibiotics: In you have SIBO or another infection.
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Bony Encroachment Causes Lower Back Pain
Bony encroachment: Any condition that results in movement or growth of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine can limit the space for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves. Causes of bony encroachment of the spinal nerves include foraminal narrowing , spondylolisthesis , and spinal stenosis . Spinal-nerve compression in these conditions can lead to sciatica pain that radiates down the lower extremities. Spinal stenosis can cause lower-extremity pains that worsen with walking and are relieved by resting . Treatment of these afflictions varies, depending on their severity, and ranges from rest and exercises to epidural cortisone injections and surgical decompression by removing the bone that is compressing the nervous tissue.
Where Can I Get More Information
For more information on neurological disorders or research programs funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, contact the Institute’s Brain Resources and Information Network at:
Office of Communications and Public LiaisonNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and StrokeNational Institutes of HealthBethesda, MD 20892
NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient’s medical history.
All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.
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What Can I Do About Acute Back Or Neck Pain
The key to recovering from acute back or neck pain is restricting your activity and taking over the counter medications, because most back pain is related to muscle strain. In most cases, acute back pain will go away on its own over a period of days. Here are some tips that will help you recover:
1. Take it easy If you think you’ve hurt your back, ease up on the pressure you’re putting on your back. Many people actually have little choice in the mattertheir back pain will force them to drop to their knees or “freeze” in a bent-over position. Others will be able to function somewhat normally, but with uncomfortable pain. Contrary to popular belief, studies on acute back pain actually show that a few days of restricting your activity, and taking the appropriate over-the-counter medication, is all that many people really need to allow the strained muscles to relax and unbind. However, it is important to talk with your health care provider before taking any medication, especially if you are taking other medications or have a chronic medical condition.
2. Ice, then heat Remember this rule: “Ice first for 48 hours, then heat.” Ice and heat can alleviate local pain that comes from muscle and ligament strain. Ice slows swelling and inflammation and acts as a local anesthetic, but after 48 hours, it loses its effect. Using heat afterwards increases blood flow to the deep tissues and relaxes muscle spasms.
When Should I See My Healthcare Provider About Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain usually gets better with rest and pain relievers. Back pain that doesnt go away may be a sign of a more serious condition.
See your provider if you have:
- Pain that doesnt get better after about a week of at-home care.
- Tingling, numbness, weakness or pain in your buttocks or legs.
- Severe pain or muscle spasms that interfere with your normal activities.
- Fever, weight loss, bowel or bladder problems or other unexplained symptoms.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
Millions of people live with low back pain. Stiffness, pain and limited movement can have a major impact on quality of life. But you may be able to avoid lower back pain by maintaining a healthy weight and staying active. Talk to your provider if back pain doesnt go away or if youre unable to do the activities you enjoy. Several treatments can relieve pain, help you move better and get more out of life.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/18/2021.
References
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