There are many reasons for chronic lower back pain, and a doctor must play detective to find out the root cause. Many different tissues occupy this area, and organs in the abdomen can exert pressures on it as well. They may not be as showy as their peers on upper arms and chests, but the muscles of the lower back are amongst the sturdiest and most hard working we have. Nerve fibers emerge in such large numbers from the spine in the lower back that anatomists liken it to the mane of a horse! Modern scanning methods can uncover the states of all these structures and tissues in great detail, but it is better to try and rely on gross clinical findings, at least in the beginning, for most patients.

Most cases of chronic lower back pain are preventable. Large deposits of fat around the stomach, excessively sedentary habits, sitting or sleeping in inappropriate ways, and subjecting the lower back to sudden and severe strains in jerks, are a few of the common reasons for back pain which does not seem to go away with any form of casual treatment. Malnutrition, hormonal defects, and abnormalities of the immune system can affect the vertebrae as well as the discs which separate them. There seems to be no end to the possible causes for the lower back to act up!

Self-medication for chronic lower back pain is a mug’s game! The complaint may appear to be innocuous at first, and who wants to set aside time to see a doctor unless essential or pressing? There are a number of pain-killers and forms of alternative medicine which are available without prescriptions, so there is a common tendency to rest satisfied with symptomatic relief. However, such an approach may mask a more serious underlying condition, and only a doctor can arrive at a correct conclusion about how to manage each case.

Sex Discrimination in Chronic Lower Back Pain

An inflamed uterus may be responsible for chronic lower back pain. Men do not have wombs, so women have to carry an additional burden in terms of the possibility of experiencing back pain. It may appear strange that something below the stomach can cause a problem in the back, but this is really what infection and inflammation in the female reproductive system can do to cause referred pain. A gynecological examination, swab cultures, and an ultrasound scan of the abdomen can confirm reproductive tract infection, or other abnormalities.