BACK PAIN

Mar
27
2009

Posted by: admin in Categories: Men's Health-Erectile Dysfunction.
Using Tags: Men’s Health

One of the most common problems affecting people of all ages is back pain. The fact that back disorders often affect relatively healthy and energetic young people suggests that with increasing age this condition will continue.

The lower back contains the segments of the vertebral column (backbone). Within it are nerves that come from the spinal cord. The nerves leave the spinal canal (the space in the vertebral column) through small outlets between the vertebrae and make their way to the lower part of the abdomen, pelvis, and legs. When the segments of the vertebral column become abnormal, the connecting joints may develop a type of arthritis. Because of this, there may be pressure, causing the nerves to become “pinched.”

In youth the vertebral segments are cushioned by discs, a flexible, resilient material called the nucleus pulpo-sus. With age the discs become relatively dry and less resilient. Subsequently, the distance between the vertebral segments decreases, and the mobility and flexibility of the spine diminishes.

The ligaments supporting the vertebral segments may also become weakened and stretched, leading to a combination of arthritic changes within the vertebral column and a narrowing of the spaces through which the nerves pass. A slipped disc, which protrudes and presses on nerves, and other mechanical derangements affecting the spaces between the vertebral bodies and its ligaments can all lead to low back pain.

Other, unusual causes of low back pain must be excluded before your physician assumes that your discomfort is the result of a mechanical imbalance of the vertebral column. Different kinds of tumors can affect bones, including those in the vertebrae, and, although rare, infections affecting the bones (osteomyelitis) can also occur. Paget’s disease, a metabolic process in which the bones recycle calcium at an excessive speed, can affect the backbone and lead to chronic back pain. Other bones, including the pelvis and skull, are frequently afflicted with Paget’s disease.

One common cause of abrupt, severe back pain is the BACK PAIN

One common cause of abrupt, severe back pain is the sudden collapse (compression fracture) of one or more vertebrae. Possibly because of more dramatic changes in hormone balance that occur after the menopause, this is more common in women than in men. The pain of compression fracture can be severe but usually subsides within a few days or weeks. Treatment includes locally applied heat, bed rest for a few days, and mild pain relievers.