Causes of back pain

introduction

Back pain can have many causes.
We would like to address many possible causes in our following topic.

Possible causes of lumbar spine back pain

Looking for a cause of Back pain, you come across a very long list very quickly. A general distinction is made between organic (physical) and psychosomatic (through the "soul") conditional causes.

Possible causes for the development of back pain are:

1. Wear and tear, osteoarthritis, wear and tear, degeneration
2. Mechanical causes
3. Injuries to the spine
4. Neoplasia, neoplasm, tumor
5. Congenital causes
6. Nerve root irritation
7. Compression of the nerve roots
8. inflammation
9. Incorrect posture and incorrect loading

Causes due to wear and tear, osteoarthritis, wear and tear and degeneration

• Bone extensions in the area of ​​the spine (Spodylophytes / osteophytes)
• Narrowing of a nerve exit point in the spine (Foramen stenosis) by bone extensions or ligament thickening (Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum)
• Scheurmann's disease
• inflammatory diseases such as Bechterew's disease, Paget's disease, bone decalcification (osteoporosis)
  This particularly affects people who have worked hard physically over a long period of time. Older people often suffer from signs of wear and tear.
• Spinal canal stenosis, in which there is a narrowing of the spinal canal due to bony attachments. A spinal canal stenosis constricts the spinal cord at a narrow point. This leads to pain, but disturbances of sensitivity (feeling) to paralysis.
  Further information on this topic is available at: Spinal stenosis of the lumbar spine
• Facet syndrome, due to wear and tear of the small vertebral joints, what is known as spondylarthrosis occurs (A.rthrosis of the small vertebral joints). Facet syndrome is one of the most common causes of back pain in the elderly!
• For more information on this topic, visit: Facet Syndrome

Mechanical causes of back pain

• Mechanical causes of back pain are mainly understood as mechanical "irritations“And reactions that sometimes cause severe pain. The mechanical causes also include Nerve entrapment.
  
• Especially after an operation in the area of ​​the Band washers are also adhesions in the area of ​​the scar tissue (Post nucleotomy syndrome) is often the cause of severe back pain.

You might also be interested in: Bruised back

Appointment with a back specialist?

I would be happy to advise you!

Who am I?
My name is dr. Nicolas Gumpert. I am a specialist in orthopedics and the founder of .
Various television programs and print media report regularly about my work. On HR television you can see me every 6 weeks live on "Hallo Hessen".
But now enough is indicated ;-)

The spine is difficult to treat. On the one hand it is exposed to high mechanical loads, on the other hand it has great mobility.

The treatment of the spine (e.g. herniated disc, facet syndrome, foramen stenosis, etc.) therefore requires a lot of experience.
I focus on a wide variety of diseases of the spine.
The aim of any treatment is treatment without surgery.

Which therapy achieves the best results in the long term can only be determined after looking at all of the information (Examination, X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, etc.) be assessed.

You can find me in:

• Lumedis - your orthopedic surgeon
  Kaiserstrasse 14
  60311 Frankfurt am Main

Directly to the online appointment arrangement
Unfortunately, it is currently only possible to make an appointment with private health insurers. I hope for your understanding!
Further information about myself can be found at Dr. Nicolas Gumpert

Tumor / cancer

As in almost all areas of the body, tumors (neurinoma or meningioma) can also be found in the area of ​​the spine. These tumors and - in unfavorable cases also their metastases (= Daughter tumors) can sometimes cause considerable back pain. It is very rare that back pain is caused by cancer. If there is any uncertainty about the reason for the back pain, if it has been present for a longer period of time or if its nature changes, a doctor should always be consulted for clarification.

It is rare for back pain to be caused by cancer of the spine. Metastases that are caused by a tumor elsewhere in the body are the most common. In just under one percent of all cancers of the spine, it is a tumor that first begins to grow in the spine, i.e. in the bones. Tumors of the spinal cord itself can also rarely lead to back pain. Most back cancers can be surgically removed if detected early.

Whether they are metastases or not, the symptoms are often similar. First of all, there is severe back pain, which often occurs at rest and at night. Depending on the location of the tumor, it can later lead to sensory disturbances, which often cause pain. Paralysis of the arms or legs can also occur. With larger tumors, muscle weaknesses or gait and bladder disorders often occur. Since the probability that it is a metastasis is very high, you should always pay attention to symptoms of a possible original tumor and search for it.

Injuries to the spine

Injuries in the spinal area are, for example, due to traffic accidents, as a result of which it leads to a Whiplash came. In worse cases, displacements of the vertebral body (s), nerve root tears or even Vertebral fractures, be held responsible for the cause of the back pain.

Congenital causes: spina bifida

The causes of back pain can also be innate. In the case of an open spinal canal that is associated with the disease "Spina bifida“Is to be determined, action must be taken accordingly.
Further information on this topic is available at: Spina bifida

Nerve irritation: lumbago

This includes the classic "lumbago" (lumbago). This is an acute irritation of a nerve. The lumbago is therefore not due to wear (see above).
You can also find more under our topic: Lumbago.

inflammation

Inflammation in the respective areas of the back can also be the cause of an underlying back pain. The cause for the development of such inflammations is usually found in bacterial foci of pus (= Abscesses) in the area of ​​the nerve roots and the spinal cord. In addition, purulent changes in the area of ​​the spine can also be partially responsible for the development of the spinal cord.

Incorrect posture and incorrect loading

Lots Back pain relate to a Poor posture or incorrect load back the spine. Indirectly, one compensates for these bad postures and / or stresses with "relieving postures", which means that one tries to compensate muscularly.
Because other muscle parts then take over the tasks, they are stressed disproportionately and react in turn with pain and tension. The “vicious circle” can already be identified here. These pains can be dealt with particularly well with various Back exercises alleviate.

Test your muscle ratios in the orthopedic practice in Frankfurt am Main

disc prolapse

The Intervertebral disc consists of the so-called Annulus fibrosus, the connective tissue, cartilaginous outer ring and the Nucleus pulposus, the inner gelatinous core.
If there is a tear in the area of ​​the annulus fibrosus, the nucleus pulposus is allowed to emerge backwards - what is known as a herniated disc, which in turn can irritate nerve roots (med Root syndrome denotes)

Read a lot more information on this topic at: disc prolapse

Causes from the intestines

In the case of back pain, most people do not even think about the possibility that it may have something to do with the intestines. However, this is probably the case more often than most people think. Since the digestive tract is largely innervated by nerves that ultimately come from the spinal cord, there is a close connection between the back and the intestines. Correspondingly, if the irritable bowel is stressed and has a lot of diarrhea, back pain often occurs because the nerves are irritated.

Even with a full bowel, this has a stressful effect on the muscles due to the proximity to the back. The so-called iliopsoas muscle, the strongest hip flexor, plays a role here due to its location. If the bowel is blocked and it is not emptying regularly enough, the weight puts a strain on this muscle and the back in the lumbar region. Therefore, the bowel should at least be considered as a possible cause. A proper colon cleanse, regular exercise and a healthy, balanced diet are often enough to solve digestive problems.

Read more on this topic at:

• constipation
• Pain in constipation

Cause kidney

The kidneys can also be to blame for back pain. For many people, however, it is difficult to distinguish one pain from the other. For help, the location of the kidneys in the lumbar spine should be remembered. They are to the right and left of the spine, the left a little higher than the right. Since they are very close to the muscles of the back and spine, they can lead to pain in this area in the event of illness. The typical thing about kidney pain is that it is knocking painful. Accordingly, those affected react particularly sensitively when tapping the area on the back. The pain often radiates to the surrounding back area, but is strongest in the kidney area.

If the kidney is suspected to be the cause of the back pain, additional symptoms should be observed. For example, if there is a fever, it may be an inflammation of the kidney, which should be treated as soon as possible. You should also pay attention to the urine, as discoloration from blood, for example, can also be an indication of a kidney disease.

Read more on this topic at: Kidney pain

Alternative causes

Here would be causes of back pain like pregnancy, Obesity and the great field of Bad posture to mention.

In the age of office work, work-related sitting, combined with the enormous comfort of people and the associated lack of exercise, lead to Wear and tear on the spine, Muscle tension or even to Breakdown of the back muscles. Understandably, such circumstances tend to result in back pain.

Psychosomatic causes

Formulations like: "Somebody has a hard time carrying something“, „That broke someone's spine"Or"Someone has to crouch“Show how important it is to get a patient's psyche too Back pain to watch.
What is impressive is the fact that 90% of people use chronic back pain has no apparent organic cause. Often recognizable by worsening pain with mental discomfort. They are unspecific. Only the small remaining proportion is distributed among the specific causes and diseases listed above.
In diseases that are triggered by the soul, the inner state and human emotions play a central role. However, the same also applies the other way around: physical complaints can cause psychological problems like depressions trigger.
fear or Stressful situations increase the heartbeat in our body, the blood pressure rises and with it the blood flow. In addition, certain Hormones and stress mediators released.
At the Constant stress can thereby psychosomatic disorders occur, which in turn ends in a stressful situation if the pain persists. So it is easy to see how important it is to break this vicious circle with special psychotherapies. Various studies have even been able to confirm the effectiveness of such therapies for chronic back problems.
You can find out more about this interesting topic at: Back pain and psyche.