Different Types Of Back Pain

Everyone at one time or another suffers with back pain but how and why does pain occur?

We suffer with pain, as it is our body's way of telling us there is damage to a certain part of our body. Messages of pain are sent along our nerve cells through our central nervous system (our spinal cord) to the brain. Once the brain has received the message it sends one back telling the body to take action so the damage can be repaired.

Because of the complexity of the back there are a lot of different reasons why pain can be found there, what a doctor needs to do is diagnose the correct reason for this pain.

Different areas of the back and pain they can cause

Muscles

Within the back there are many different muscles that can be damaged and cause pain, these muscles are called the Latissimus Dorsi, Teres major and minor and the Trapezius.

The muscles of the back are used when you are pulling items, even though the muscles are strong they can easily be "pulled" if lifting is not carried out correctly or the item is too heavy in weight.

Most pains in the thoracic region (also known as the upper back) are generally caused by damage to a muscle or ligament.

If you feel like the damage you have is a muscular pain then it should repair itself over a short time.

Bones

The bone structure of the back is made up of the spinal column. The spinal column is made up of twenty-four vertebrae with discs in between to cushion the vertebrae during movement.

A spinal column is split into three different areas, the cervical region, thoracic region and lumbar region.

The cervical region is the top of the spinal column and starts at the bottom of the skull at the rear and forms the support for the neck.

The thoracic region forms the top and middle parts of the back. The thoracic region is formed by twelve vertebrae with ribs on either side and is very sturdy and strong.

The lumbar region is formed by five vertebrae and supports the weight of the upper body. The lumbar region is also the part of the back that is the most likely to get damaged.

There are a lot of conditions that can affect the bones in the back.

The main condition is a bulging disc, this is mostly found in those who are older in age as the bones lose strength. A bulging disc occurs when to much stress is put on the discs that cushion the vertebrae. When to much pressure is put on the discs there is the possibility the discs can push cartilage into a nerve root or the spinal canal causing severe pain.

Should you feel that your pain is centered on the bone structure in your back then you will need to seek medical attention so the issue can be resolved, without medical care your back may become worse.