Extreme Lower Back Pain - Causes and Treatment

spinal stenosis

Extreme lower back pain can be a very debilitating and frustrating condition. There can be several causes for this.

Increasing age

Ageing means the deterioration in the strength and flexibility of the muscles and bones. The discs in the spinal column lose their fluid and elasticity, which adversely affects their ability to provide support and cushion to the spine.

Lifting heavy objects

When a weak or an old person tries to lift or pull anything that is too heavy for his strength, his muscles experience strain, sprain or spasm, which leads to pain in the back.

Degeneration of bones

Degeneration of the bones may lead to bone diseases like arthritis, osteoporosis, viral infections in the joints and some other abnormal conditions in the spinal column.

Weight gain

Weight gain due to obesity or pregnancy may cause posture problems and exert pressure on the muscles of the back and cause strain on them.

All these factors cause extreme lower back pain.

Treatment

Lower back pain can be treated by do-it-yourself efforts, if it is at its initial stage and has been caused by simple activities such as lifting heavy weights, etc.

1. Rest

The pain can be relieved by lying in a posture that provides rest to the stressed back. This can be done by lying on the back on the floor and putting one or two pillows below the knees. This arrangement raises the hip slightly upwards and places the lower back flatly on the floor. A day or two of rest is likely to relieve the pain.

2. Exercises

Some simple exercises that stretch the lower back can also bring relief.

One exercise is to stretch the back by arching it. To do this, first lie with your face on the floor, put your hands on the floor and lift your upper body upwards so that it forms a slight arch. This will stretch your lower back. Stay in this position for 10-15 seconds and come back to the earlier position. Repeat this exercise 5-10 times.

Swimming, walking, yoga also helps to cure the extreme lower back pain.

Hot packs, massage with balm or taking over-the-counter pain killers like aspirin also helps to relieve the back pain.

If these simple steps do not show results, consult your doctor.