Cause
The most common causes of low back pain are:
- Injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, and joints.
-
Pressure on
nerve roots in the spinal canal. This can be caused by:
- A herniated disc, sometimes brought on by repeated vibration or motion (as during sport activity or when using a machine or lifting in the wrong way) or by a sudden heavy strain or increased pressure to the lower back.
- Osteoarthritis, usually caused by getting older. When osteoarthritis affects the small joints in the spine, it can lead to back pain. Osteoarthritis in other joints, such as the hips, can cause you to limp or to change the way you walk. This can also lead to back pain.
- Spondylolisthesis, a defect that allows one vertebra to slide over another.
- Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, which is usually caused by getting older.
- Fractures of the vertebrae caused by a lot of force, such as from an auto or bicycle accident, a direct blow to the spine, or compressing the spine by falling onto the buttocks or head.
- Spinal deformities, including curvature problems such as severe scoliosis or kyphosis.
- Compression fractures. These are more common among post-menopausal women with osteoporosis and in men or women after long-term corticosteroid use. In a person with osteoporosis, even a small amount of force put on the spine, as from a sneeze, may cause a compression fracture.
Less common spinal conditions that can cause low back pain include:
Neck strain is often just called whiplash. Although it's usually associated with car accidents, any impact or blow that causes your head to jerk forward or backward can cause neck strain. The sudden force stretches and tears the muscles and tendons in your neck. Neck strain afflicts many amateur and professional athletes. People who play contact sports like football are especially prone to neck strain. Neck strains are often confused with neck sprains. They're a bit different. Neck strains are...
Read the Neck Strain and Whiplash article > >
- Ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis that most often affects the spine.
-
Bacterial infection. Bacteria are
usually carried to the spine through the bloodstream. You may have back pain from an infection in the bone, in the spinal discs, or in the spinal
cord. An infection may enter the spine from:
- An infection somewhere else in the body.
- Intravenous (IV) drug use.
- Surgery or injection treatments.
- An injury.
- Spinal tumors, which are growths on the bones and ligaments of the spine, on the spinal cord, or on nerve roots.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Today in Back Pain
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
©2005-2012 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
WebMD does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See additional information.