Looking for help and relief from low back pain is a time-consuming and sometimes expensive experience. People live with this type of chronic pain day in and day out, and many just assume that it will continue for the rest of their lives. Getting to the root cause of low back pain is very important in finding a proper treatment for it. Until one knows where the pain is originally stemming from, a good medication or remedy cannot be applied with positive results. This is why finding the true problem that is exacerbating the low back pain is crucial.

Possible Underlying Causes of Low Back Pain

There are many reasons one may suffer from pain in the lower region of the back. Often, and probably most common, people tend to strain their backs while moving furniture, picking up something heavy, or doing hard manual labor. This type of stress injury can worsen over time without proper care being taken. Many a person has had their back “thrown out” after a trip moving to a new location or too much strenuous exercise at the local gym. If one doesn’t take the proper rest and care required to heal the back, then more permanent damage may result. Usually inflammation is present within the muscles of the lower back causing pain and sometimes swelling. Until the inflammation is reduced, there will be no relief from the pain.

Another possible underlying cause of low back pain is a bulging or herniated disk. For those with degenerative disks in their back, this can be an excruciating experience. The nerve endings between the disks cause pain and pinching, which can even radiate down into the back of the legs as well. Less often, abdominal pain or disease can radiate into the lower back region, causing a referred pain in the back because of the inflammation in the abdomen. Kidneys are also located on either side of the lower back, which when infected or inflamed can cause lower back pain.

While many reasons for the pain are possible, there are relatively few options for relief from this pain. Medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, may provide short-term relief, but do not address underlying causes of low back pain. Acupuncture or chiropractic care can be very beneficial over the long-term for many, as well as dietary supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease inflammation in the body. Finding the cause of low back pain may take some work, yet knowing the root problem will help find the most effective treatment.