Back pain is one of the most common disorders that humans experience. We rely on our back to keep us upright, mobile and flexible. But, sometimes there is a glitch in the mechanics of our back that needs to be taken care of right away. While lower back pain is common, left side back pain is too, but should not be ignored.

Here are some facts and suggestions for treatment for left side back pain:

The Facts

Your back is a wonderful construction of vertebrae that connects to protect the spinal nerves and cord. There are also disks in between the vertebrae that cushion and protect against shock. When you injure your back, it is usually from a variety of reasons. You may have “pulled a muscle”, meaning torn a ligament, or slipped a disk causing the vertebrae to lose cushion and put pressure on each other. Whatever the reason, it is good to know the types of pain that you may experience, especially left side back pain.

Types Of Back Pain

There are different kinds of back pain that you should be aware of, such as acute, chronic, neuropathic and nociceptive. Each of these back pains can occur in different areas of the back. Acute pain is a sharp pain that is normally located on the lower part of the back, on the right side. This type of pain is caused by injury or trauma. Chronic pain is more dull then acute, and can cause difficulty in daily activity. This is brought on by a past injury or long-lasting nerve damage. Left side back pain is usually neurological, meaning that it is caused by damage to the nerve tissue in the back. It is usually acute, meaning a burning, sharp pain that can begin at the lower part of the back and continue down the left side of the back down to the legs.

Diagnosis And Treatment

For left side back pain, if it is severe enough, it should not be ignored. See your doctor, and they will usually diagnose the problem using x-rays, CAT scans, or bone scans. Surgery, and painkillers are usually the type of treatment that will take care of left side back pain. Rest and mild movement are also what will take care of the pain. As with any type of external injury, your doctor will probably advice that you do some sort of exercise, even if mild, as you do not want to weaken the muscles.