Low Back Pain
What may cause my low back pain?
Low back pain that appears suddenly is typically caused by acute injuries like injured discs or torn muscles. Sports injuries, falls, using poor lifting techniques, and overexerting yourself are common causes of acute back pain.
You can also develop long-term back pain from repetitive strain or engaging in the same activities that cause acute pain. Repeating the same movements over extended periods can irritate and inflame tissues in and around your spine, resulting in low back pain and soreness that worsen when you perform these activities.
Another type of back pain is caused by age-related deterioration. This includes conditions like osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and vertebral compression fractures stemming from osteoporosis. Disc herniation can also happen because of age-related deterioration.
Other back pain causes include spinal abnormalities like scoliosis, where the spine has a left and/or right curvature. Spinal cord injuries, tumors, and internal diseases like kidney infections can also cause back pain.
What is degenerative disc disease?
Disc degeneration can be caused by a number of factors. Degenerative disc disease (DDD) refers to the deterioration of the intervertebral discs as you age, experience trauma, or have or congenital circumstances. Intervertebral discs separate the bones (vertebrae) in your spine, acting as a cushions and shock absorbers. These discs also allow you to bend and twist your low back with ease.
As you get older, the intervertebral discs begin to collapse due to the loss of collagen fibers and water, affecting the space between the spinal bones. Typically, the pain from DDD is most noticeable when bending forward, sitting, and sitting while bent forward.
Degenerative disc disease may also lead to other low back problems that cause pain, such as disc herniation, spinal stenosis (narrowing in the spine), or spondylolisthesis (vertebral bone displacement).
Most people aged 40 and older have some degree of disc degeneration, but not everyone develops pain. We treat patients based upon their physical examination, MRI results, and presentation. We do not diagnose based upon imaging alone.
What is a slipped disc, formally known as disc protrusion and herniation?
A disc protrusion is a milder form of a herniation, usually caused by microscopic injury to the outer ring of the disc (annulus). Intervertebral discs separate and cushion the space between each vertebrae. These discs have a tough exterior and a gel-like interior.
Disc herniation refers to the gel-like material in the intervertebral disc pushing against outer ring of the connective tissue that surrounds the entire disc. The displaced disc material may irritate or compress a spinal nerve or the spinal cord, causing pain.
You can develop disc protrusion and herniation following an acute injury, such as a car accident or heavy lifting. However, you’re more sustain to get a disc injury as you get older due to age-related degenerative changes, making the discs more vulnerable to tears and herniations.
Can I have pain that radiates into my legs with disc herniation?
If you have disc protrusion and herniation in the lower back (lumbar spine), it may irritate the nerve roots that exit the spine through the foramen. This can cause pain that radiates down the front, side, or back of the leg. This layman’s term is sciatica.
What is facet joint pain?
The facet joints are small joints, about the size of knuckles, that are located on the low back of the spine. These joints take on about 15% of the the spine’s weight load. When a disc herniation or degenerative disc disease (DDD) develops and the disc becomes thinner, the top portion of the facet joint moves closer to the bottom portion of the joint. Over time, this process can lead to the development of arthritis. Arthritis can be likened to developing potholes in the road. Arthritis results in exposed bone with free nerve endings that can transmit pain.
What is stenosis of the central canal and lateral recess/foramen?
Central canal stenosis refers to the narrowing of the central spinal canal, which houses the spinal cord. Lateral recess stenosis, also known as foraminal stenosis, refers to the narrowing of the space within the intervertebral foramen, which is the area where the nerve root exits the spinal column.
Central canal stenosis and lateral recess/foraminal stenosis can be caused by a number of conditions, including congenital narrowing, aging, injuries, diseases, and trauma. These conditions often result in irritation of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots which can cause low back pain and radiating pain down the legs.
How does BioInfinity diagnose low back pain?
The Bioinfinity Regenerative Medicine team has extensive experience diagnosing low back pain. We review your medical history, complete a physical exam, and discuss your symptoms. Imaging procedures like an MRI, CT scan, or X-rays are often needed to allow your provider to view the bones and tissues in your spine, enabling them to can identify the cause of your low back pain.
