Lumbago or Chronic Back Pain: What You Can Do
Lumbago is mild to severe lower back pain. It can be chronic pain or occur sporadically with periods of intense pain after a pain-free time. It can affect people of all ages, from the very young to the very old. Lumbago is usually a temporary condition that doctors and physiotherapy can treat through stretching, exercise, icing, rest, medication and posture alignment.
What Are the Symptoms of Lumbago?
Lower back pain is the most common symptom, but the pain can manifest in many ways, including:
- Radiating pain from the lower back into the thighs, groin and buttocks area
- Cramps in the neck and shoulders causing stiffness
- Pain when bending over or moving side to side
- Spinal muscle spasms
- Tingling sensations in the lower back, buttocks and legs
- Pain that affects posture and movement
Note: If you are experiencing back pain and leg numbness, fever, unexplained weight loss, loss of leg strength, loss of bladder or bowel control, see your doctor immediately as it could indicate a much more severe condition.
What Causes Lumbago?
Doctors now know that several common conditions are typically the cause of lumbago. These include:
Herniated Disc
Sometimes called ruptured or bulging discs, your spine has small disks that act as a cushion between the vertebra. If the disks bulge or ruptures, it can cause the spine to press on sensitive nerves, which leads to back pain.
Osteoarthritis or Spinal Arthritis
The most common form of arthritis, Osteoarthritis, is wear and tear on the joints and most often happens in the hands, knees and hips. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage inside of a joint breaks down, causing the bones underneath to wear.
Osteoporosis
When bones lose their calcium and become softer, it can cause very painful fractures in the spine.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammation of the vertebra. It can happen with age or due to hereditary conditions and lead to back pain.
Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a sideways curve in the spine, which can be caused by cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, but the cause of most scoliosis is unknown.
Spinal Stenosis
Narrowing of the spinal canal, Spinal Stenosis compresses the nerves travelling through the lower back into the legs.
Spinal Tumor
A spinal tumour is an abnormal mass of tissue within or surrounding the spinal cord. These cells grow and multiply uncontrollably and can be benign (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Tips for Managing Back Pain
If you have unexplained back pain, it is essential to see your doctor for a diagnosis and rule out any underlying conditions. Your doctor will be able to refer you to a specialist to help manage your pain and strengthen your back.
It is essential to see your doctor right away to discuss lower back pain management so that the pain doesn’t damage your other joints and put more pressure on your spine and back, which could lead to long-term damage.
It is also essential to seek help to strengthen your back and muscles and get back to regular exercise and daily activities.
Other common non-invasive lower back pain management ideas are:
- Anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen for pain relief
- Placing hot or cold compresses on your back
- Exercise and gentle stretches to relieve tension and improve circulation and flexibility
- Yoga can help relieve pain, improve flexibility and strengthen core back muscles.
How to manage lower back pain? Orthotics can help.
A common issue that affects back pain is your walking gait. If you have overpronation (when your foot rolls inwards too much when you walk) or under pronation (when your foot rolls outwards as you walk), it can put stress and strain on your feet.
If your feet are stressed, they will alter your limbs and back alignment, leading to lower back pain.
If your back pain symptoms are due to your gait issues, your doctor or podiatrist may recommend custom orthotics. Orthotics help correct pronation problems and give support and cushioning to help with back pain management and relieve the stress and strain on your feet from gait issues.
Wearing comfortable shoes with supportive cushioning and strong side supports with custom orthotics will help with foot pain management and help limit inward rolling to relieve your back pain.
At Orthotics Direct, we carry an entire line of comfortable and stylish shoes that perfectly fit your custom orthotics. Look at our website to see how we create handmade custom orthotics based on your measurements and needs and mail them directly to your door. We’ll even guarantee that your orthotics will fit perfectly with your new shoes.
Don’t suffer needlessly with lower back pain or wait to treat your lumbago. See your doctor and get the help you need today.
