Few things are more disabling than having chronic back pain. Whether you have pain in your lower back or you have pain that affects other parts of the back, it can prevent you from enjoying life and doing the things you need to do. So often people with chronic back pain have no clue what causes it. They simply take pain relieving medication and try to go about their day. However, finding and treating the source of your chronic back pain can provide the most effective relief. Here are three health conditions that can cause chronic back pain.
1. Endometriosis.
For some women, having endometriosis can be unbearable. Not only can the condition cause issues with fertility, it can also cause intense pain throughout the body - including the lower back. This pain in the lower back can occur only during a woman's monthly cycle, or it can be ongoing. Either way, the lower back pain associated with endometriosis can be so severe that it debilitates the sufferer.
If you are a woman and you experience severe lower back pain, you should talk to your doctor about the possibility of endometriosis. Getting your endometriosis properly diagnosed is your first step toward getting lasting relief for your chronic lower back pain.
2. Spinal osteoarthritis.
Whenever most people think about osteoarthritis, they likely think of the joints in their knees or arms. However, some people develop spinal osteoarthritis. As you can imagine, this type of osteoarthritis can cause severe back pain.
Osteoarthritis in the spine causes the joint cartilage in the lower back and neck to break down. This then results in back and neck pain, as well as arm and leg numbness and/or weakness if the condition is particularly bad. In a lot of cases, the back pain can be relieved when you lay down.
If you have really bad back pain that causes weakness or numbness in your extremities, it can be a good idea to discuss spinal osteoarthritis with your doctor - especially if you have already been diagnosed with osteoarthritis in other parts of your body.
3. Sciatica.
Sciatica is another health condition that can cause chronic back pain. Sciatica results from pressure being put on the sciatic nerve in the back. This pressure causes intense lower back pain, as well as a burning and shooting pain down the leg. Of course, this can make it difficult to move around or even stand.
Many people with sciatica find relief from over-the-counter pain relievers. However, others have more severe pain that needs to be treated by a doctor. You should always discuss your back pain symptoms with your doctor - especially if you are having to take a lot of medication to get relief. Once you are diagnosed with sciatica, your doctor can develop a treatment plan to help give you better relief.
For more information, contact Southwest Florida Neurosurgical Associates or a similar location.
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