Why Does My Stomach Hurt
There are numerous reasons for abdominal pain. It may be related to digestion, injury, infection or disease. It may come from an organ inside, or from the muscles or skin in your abdominal wall. Or it may have spread from somewhere else nearby.
Your healthcare provider will ask you detailed questions about your pain to determine the cause. How bad it feels doesnt necessarily indicate how serious it is. Some common, transient conditions can be intense, and some life-threatening conditions may feel mild.
What Are The Symptoms Of Mechanical Back Pain
Most people with mechanical back pain experience pain primarily in their lower back. The pain may radiate to your buttocks and thighs. Many people may also experience spasms with mechanical back pain. The symptoms of mechanical back pain are generally more noticeable with flexion of the back and when lifting heavy objects.
Low Back Pain Fact Sheet
If you have had lower back pain, you are not alone. Back pain is one of most common reasons people see a doctor or miss days at work. Even school-age children can have back pain.
Back pain can range in intensity from a dull, constant ache to a sudden, sharp or shooting pain. It can begin suddenly as a result of an accident or by lifting something heavy, or it can develop over time as we age. Getting too little exercise followed by a strenuous workout also can cause back pain.
There are two types of back pain:
- Acute, or short-term back pain lasts a few days to a few weeks. Most low back pain is acute. It tends to resolve on its own within a few days with self-care and there is no residual loss of function. In some cases a few months are required for the symptoms to disappear.
- Chronic back pain is defined as pain that continues for 12 weeks or longer, even after an initial injury or underlying cause of acute low back pain has been treated. About 20 percent of people affected by acute low back pain develop chronic low back pain with persistent symptoms at one year. Even if pain persists, it does not always mean there is a medically serious underlying cause or one that can be easily identified and treated. In some cases, treatment successfully relieves chronic low back pain, but in other cases pain continues despite medical and surgical treatment.
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Other Treatment Options For A Bulging Disc L4/l5
Very rarely, surgery is required for a bulging disc. This intervention is reserved for those who have tried everything else and are still suffering.
Its important to exhaust all non-surgical methods first, as you cant reverse a surgery and the results from surgery are often underwhelming. Occasionally, surgery can make someone worse which is obviously devastating to hear about.
Another option is an injection, which can give pain relief down the course of the sciatic nerve. From my experience, these have very underwhelming results for most people. However, they can occasionally be effective.
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Look Into Getting A New Mattress
How old is your bed? You may be surprised to learn that the average life span of a mattress is less than 10 years. Theres no hard-and-fast rule, says Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, chief of the division of pain medicine at Stanford University, but if your mattress is sagging significantly or is more than six to eight years old, Id think about getting a new one.
Something else to consider: A firm mattress may not do your back any favors, says Carmen R. Green, MD, a physician at the University of Michigan Back & Pain Center. A number of studies over the years suggest that people with lower back pain who sleep on medium-firm mattresses do better than those with firm beds, she says.
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Can Back Pain Be Prevented
Recurring back pain resulting from improper body mechanics may be prevented by avoiding movements that jolt or strain the back, maintaining correct posture, and lifting objects properly. Many work-related injuries are caused or aggravated by stressors such as heavy lifting, contact stress , vibration, repetitive motion, and awkward posture.Recommendations for keeping ones back healthy
What Is Acute Mechanical Back Pain
Acute mechanical back pain is a common medical problem. Acute pain is pain that has been present in your back for less than four to six weeks. Mechanical means that the source of the pain may be in your spinal joints, discs, vertebrae, or soft tissues. Acute mechanical back pain may also be called acute low back pain, lumbago, idiopathic low back pain, lumbosacral strain or sprain, or lumbar syndrome.
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When To Get Medical Attention
Back pain may go away on its own, but you can also get relief by:
- Applying warm or cold compresses
- Doing gentle stretching or massage
- Correcting your posture by standing at your desk, using a back rest, or using an ergonomic chair where possible
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
- Trying aerobic exercise such as rowing, cycling, or using an elliptical machine
Important: Back pain that doesnt improve with rest and pain relief strategies may suggest a serious health concern. So, youll want to get medical attention if you continue to experience pain.
Home remedies usually wont do much to ease kidney pain, since they cant address the underlying cause. If you think your pain comes from your kidneys, youll want to make an appointment with a doctor right away.
Its always a good idea to seek medical attention if any pain you experience:
- Lingers or comes and goes over more than a week
Your doctor may ask questions about the pain and your health in general, such as:
- Your usual exercise routines
- The kind of work you do
- Any treatments youve tried
- What relieves your pain or makes it worse
- Recent injuries, medical procedures, or surgeries
- Any effects on your daily life for instance, if your pain causes you to miss school or work, or makes walking and other movements difficult
They may also examine your back and abdomen and recommend tests to help make the right diagnosis, such as:
Conservative Treatments For Lower Back Pain
Conservative treatment is basically alleviation of lower back pain without any surgical means. Conservative treatments for lower back pain include the following:
- Physical therapy for lower back pain is a type of treatment is administered to strengthen your back muscles. This therapy ranges from water therapies to more specialized massage techniques.
- Medications for lower back pain is the most effective way of reducing inflammation, controlling pain and calming of muscle spasms.
- Injections are whereby the lumbar epidural steroid Injections are administered to help in strengthening of the back to reduce pain. A set of two to three injections will be administered into the Lumbar Spine.
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Treating Your Foot And Back Issues With Prp
Your interventional orthopedic physician will not only examine your heel pain but also trace it to the source of the problem. If there is an issue in the low back, he or she will not only address the heel pain but also the low back and any problems in between. Using the the SANS approach, he or she will assess stability, articulation, neuromuscular function, and symmetry.
Following assessment, your IO physician will treat the affected areas with your own precisely guided platelet-rich plasma for an issue in the heel and/or growth factors isolated from your platelets and injected around the irritated nerves in the back to help stimulate the local stem cells to wake up and start the repair process.
The biggest take-away here is to pay attention to your heel pain right away. This could be an early warning signal that something much bigger is at play, such as an irritated nerve in the back.
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What Is The Neruobiomechanical Centre That Dictates Our Bodys Posture And How Do I Fix It
The trigeminal nerve is the governing centre for our entire bodys posture. This is the connecting nerve between the brain and the mandibular nerve .
The postural relationship running between the brain and the mandibular nerve is transmitted by the act of swallowing, through other parts of the body.
To put it simply: your posture depends on your teeth, or the relationship between your brain and your jaw.
It is this relationship which the equipment called the Rectifier focuses on, making your posture symmetrical and well-balanced.
Until now, everyone believed that the head was connected only by the first cervical vertebra , but recent studies have proven that the brain is connected to the body by a much more complex system. This is exemplified by the fact that, when we are stressed, we tend to clench our jaw and grind our teeth this is to achieve maximum stability in our neck.
We can therefore state that the head is not only attached to the first cranial vertebra, but also to the left and right dental arches.
The height and the extrusion of the teeth from both dental arches especially the molars and pre-molars is extremely important in balancing the head properly on the first cranial vertebra.
In fact, if the molars do not extrude adequately, the weight of the head tends to push against the entire vertebral column, which constricts itself into a smaller space, therefore heightening the curvature of the spine.
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When To Call Your Doctor
No matter what the cause of your lower left abdominal pain, you should know when to see your doctor. The Mayo Clinic says you should make the call if:
- You have severe abdominal pain.
- You have pain with fever.
- You have persistent constipation or diarrhea.
- You have pain with nausea or vomiting.
- Your abdomen is swollen and tender totouch.
How Common Is Lower Back Pain
Around four out of five people have lower back pain at some point in their lives. Its one of the most common reasons people visit healthcare providers.
Some people are more likely to have lower back pain than others. Risk factors for lower back pain include:
- Age: People over 30 have more back pain. Disks wear away with age. As the disks weaken and wear down, pain and stiffness can result.
- Weight: People have overweight/obesity or carry extra weight are more likely to have back pain. Excess weight puts pressure on joints and disks.
- Overall health: Weakened abdominal muscles cant support the spine, which can lead to back strains and sprains. People who smoke, drink alcohol excessively or live a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of back pain.
- Occupation and lifestyle: Jobs and activities that require heavy lifting or bending can increase the risk of a back injury.
- Structural problems: Severe back pain can result from conditions, such as scoliosis, that change spine alignment.
- Disease: People who have a family history of osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer and other disease have a higher risk of low back pain.
- Mental health: Back pain can result from depression and anxiety.
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Dysfunction Of Sacroiliac Joints
Dysfunction of the sacroiliac joints is also called sacroiliitis. You have two sacroiliac joints, one on each side of your spine where it connects with the top of your pelvis. Sacroiliitis is inflammation of this joint. It can affect one or both sides.
Pain in your lower back and buttocks is the most common symptom. The pain is usually made worse by:
- unexplained weight loss
- pain after a fall or injury
If you need help finding a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.
Herniated Disk In The Lower Back
A herniated, ruptured, or “slipped” disc means that a vertebral disc one of the soft pads of tissue that sit between each of the vertebral bones has becomes squeezed out of shape. Its cushioning material has been forced against, and possibly through, the ring of fibrous tissue that normally contains it. This causes pain, numbness, and weakness in the legs.
The normal aging process causes the discs lose moisture and become thinner, making them more vulnerable to “slipping.”
Most susceptible are men from ages 30 to 50. Smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and improper lifting are also risk factors.
Symptoms include pain, weakness, numbness, and tingling in the back, leg, and foot.
Diagnosis is made through patient history, neurological examination, and MRI scan.
Treatment begins with rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, and sometimes epidural steroid injections into the back to ease pain and inflammation.
Surgery to remove the herniated part of the disc the part that was squeezed out of place can also be helpful.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: lower back pain, moderate back pain, back pain that shoots down the leg, back pain that gets worse when sitting, leg weakness
Urgency: Primary care doctor
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Gently Stretch Your Joints And Soft Tissues Through Yoga
Yoga is an effective way to stretch your back, improve the health of muscles and joints, enhance distribution of healing nutrients through blood circulation, and increase the flexibility of the spine.12
When you start, perform the stretches slowly and advance only if you feel comfortable without pain. Gradually, you will be able to add more stretches to your routine. An ideal time for yoga is early morningto help loosen your spine and also reduce stiffness and aches in your back.
See 3 Beginner Yoga Poses for Lower Back Pain Relief
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.
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What Causes Back Pain
Your spine or backbone is a complex structure that is made up of 24 small bones called vertebrae that are stacked on top of each other. Discs sit between each vertebra to act as cushions or shock absorbers and give your spine flexibility. Vertebrae are joined together by small joints called facet joints. These joints allow you to move and bend your back. A mesh of ligaments and muscles hold the spine together and provide structural support, which allows you to move.
Back pain can originate from any of these structures, but in most cases, this pain doesnt result from any significant damage to your spine. This pain usually stems from surrounding muscles, ligaments or joints and occasionally spinal disc problems.
For at least 9 in 10 people, back pain is not caused by any particular condition and is referred to as non-specific back pain.
This type of back pain results from a range of different factors such as:
Less than 1 in 100 people have back pain that is related to a serious medical problem such as cancer, infection, a spinal fracture or specific conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis. Research has also shown that you actually dont need to know the cause of back pain to treat it successfully.
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When Can I Return To Work
Its usually recommend that you return to work right away. If you cannot do your regular job, it is in your best interest to return to some kind of modified duty . Your healthcare provider can give you a prescription for a limited period of modified work duty.
It is very common to be afraid to promptly return to work and other activities because of fear of re-injury. However, if you are receiving proper treatment, your risk of re-injury should be limited. It is in your best interest to return to a normal lifestyle promptly. Early mobility has been found to directly result in a more rapid recovery. Maintaining a positive mental attitude is also imperative to a quick recovery.
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Is Lower Right Or Left Back Pain Worrisome
Pain on one side of the back is not particularly more worrisome than central pain. There are three main kinds of one-sided back pain:
Most of the anatomy of the low back and abdomen is symmetrical. Some of the guts are not symmetrical, and only some of those is a plausible cause of back pain on one side. Heres some of the key anatomy to consider:
The side of the pain on its own doesnt tell us much, and most of the one-sided sources of pain are viscera that usually cause abdominal pain instead of back pain, or in addition to it. In other words, the only reason to worry about right or left lower back pain is if it is otherwise worrisome: if you have other red flags or significant non-back symptoms.
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