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Saying something like — “Low back pain is the leading cause of disability around the world” — often makes more sense when you attach some numbers to it. In 2020, reports found that 619 million people globally were affected by low back pain, and researchers warn that this number is likely to jump to 843 million by 2050.
Here in the United States, the news isn’t any better, as 39% of adults report back pain.
At Western Orthopaedics, our team of musculoskeletal experts includes spine specialists who understand the enormous effect that low back pain can have on your life.
One of the first steps toward relief from low back pain is to figure out what you’re up against, which is why we’re reviewing the most common culprits behind this health issue here.
Everything in your body ages with time, including the discs in your spine, which is why degenerative disc disease (DDD) is so common. By the age of 60, 90% of people have some degree of degeneration in their intervertebral discs.
By degeneration, we’re referring to a loss of moisture in the discs, which causes the discs to become more brittle and to flatten out. As a result, DDD is a primary risk factor for herniated discs and sciatica.
Far down in your lower back, you have a small triangular piece of bone — your sacrum — that acts as a connector between your spine and your hips. When the joints that connect this bone to your hips malfunction, you can be left with sacroiliac(SI) joint dysfunction, a condition that accounts for an estimated 15%-30% of low back pain cases.
SI joint dysfunction can go one of two ways — you can end up with too much or too little mobility in the joints, and both can lead to low back pain, as well as radiating pain in your buttocks and legs.
Over time, degenerative changes can occur in your lumbar spine that lead to narrowing in your spinal canal. This narrowing can compress sensitive nerve roots and lead to low back pain. One of the hallmarks of LSS is pain when you’re standing straight that you can relieve by bending forward.
The two main forms of arthritis that can affect your low back are osteoarthritis and facet joint arthritis. Both of these are wear-and-tear issues.
Around your spine are major muscle groups that support your back. One of the most common roads to low back pain is a strain in one or more of these muscles.
The conditions we outline above don’t paint the entire picture when it comes to low back pain, but they account for a large number of cases.
Our goal here was to illustrate that low back pain can come from many places, so it’s important to get the right diagnosis first, and then you can receive the correct treatment. We offer a number of therapies that can relieve low back pain and get you back to moving more freely again.
For expert diagnosis and treatment of low back pain, please contact one of our offices in Denver or Arvada, Colorado, to set up an appointment.
