Back Pain: Daily Annoyance or Serious Problem?

Many people suffer from regular back pain. Whether it be from age, weight, sleeping improperly, or sleeping on a poor quality mattress, back pain can crop up for many different reasons and have serious effects on your day to day life. Regular back pain, however common, is not something to be ignored. If you are experiencing regular back pain, is it extremely important to visit your doctor to make sure that your back pain is simply muscle tension or stress and not something more serious. Even simple muscle strain or back pain caused by stress, however, can affect your daily life dramatically.

What is causing your pain?

If you begin experiencing back pain on a regular basis, it is important to visit your primary care physician in order to determine the cause of the pain. Some of the most common causes of back pain are associated with stress, poor posture, sleeping in an insufficient mattress, and even dehydration. However, there are some more serious causes of back pain that must be ruled out by your doctor. For example, back pain could be caused by a problem with your kidneys. If you are experiencing bladder discomfort and localized pain and tenderness in your mid to lower back, you may have some form of kidney infection. Common kidney infections can be treated with oral antibiotics, but it is important to treat them quickly so that no other complications arise. Also, back pain could be cause by a cyst or tumor on the spine. If you have undiagnosed back pain, you may need an MRI to make sure that you do not have either of these conditions. While tumors and cysts can be surgically drained or removed, it is important to make sure that they are not indicators of a more serious problem like cancer.

How does back pain affect your daily activities?

Having chronic back pain has many effects on day to day activities. Just getting out of bed in the morning can be painful and troublesome. Often, driving in your car for long periods of time can exacerbate back pain, as car seats tend to not be ergonomically advantageous for the back. Similarly, back pain can be made worse by uncomfortable office chairs. This pain can be agitating and troubling. Experiencing constant pain can cause you to lose energy quickly, making you feel tired and depressed.

What can you do?

If your physician has determined that your back pain is not caused by any more serious problem, you can begin to treat your back pain at home by taking an over the counter pain medication. Also, apply heat to your back to help to ease and relax your muscles. Painful muscle spasms in your back can benefit greatly from a gentle massage. Also, consider purchasing a memory foam lumbar or back support for your car and/or office chair in order to provide you with appropriate support while sitting for long periods of time.

Back pain can be disruptive and annoying. After having you back examined and ruling out more serious causes, simple back ache can be treated at home in order to prevent some of the effects that it can have on your life.