Low Back Pain

Low back pain can be dull, constant, sudden,sharp, stabbing or shooting sensations, pain may make you immobile, it can also can be worse with certain movements like, standing, sitting, running, bending forward,and it can also travel or radiate towards the legs known as sciatica.

The causes of low back pain can be : mechanical or non -mechanical or referred pain from the abdomen or elsewhere.

Mechanical problems include: muscle or ligament strain, due to heavy lifting or sudden repetitive movement/s.Intervertebral disc herniations, arthritis,e.g. spinal stenosis or narrowing of the space between cord due to spinal fracture.Sciatica, sudden pain due to heavy lifting, muscle strains,osteoporosis , where bones of the spine become porous and brittle. Other causes include, inflammatory and ankylosing spondilitis, ractive arthritis,and inflammatory bowel disease, or malignanacies from lung, breast, prostate, thyroid infections..e.g.osteomy;itis & abcesses.

Red Flags include: insignificant weight loss,fever, or significant problems with feeling bowel movement, know as Cauda Aquina syndrome etc.where medical emergency must be sought