Understanding Different Types of Back Pain
As you may already know through personal experience, back pain can be uniquely complex and difficult to diagnose and treat. There are many types of back pain, and a wide range of treatments that may or may not work for the same condition.
We want to provide some insights that you may find helpful in your journey to finding and participating in a treatment approach that works for you.
Back pain is a complicated, personal experience
The intensity and manageability of pain are very different for every person. For example, one person with a herniated disc may experience excruciating pain while another person with the same condition has no symptoms at all. Similarly, a muscle strain can range from mild to debilitating.
With some conditions, back pain can flare up and then subside, only to flare up again after a few weeks or months and gradually intensify over time. Because only you know your level of pain, your treatment will most likely be more successful if you are an active participant in making decisions about your medical care.
How you describe your pain, its area of distribution, and any related symptoms are important to determine a back pain diagnosis. Three common classifications of back pain include:
- Axial pain. Also called mechanical pain, axial pain is confined to one spot or region. It may be described a number of ways, such as sharp or dull, comes and goes, constant, or throbbing. A muscle strain is a common cause of axial back pain as are facet joints and annular tears in discs.
- Referred pain. Often characterized as dull and achy, referred pain tends to move around and vary in intensity. As an example, in the lower back, degenerative disc disease may cause referred pain to the hips and posterior thighs.
- Radicular pain. Commonly described as electric shock-like or searing, radicular pain follows the path of the spinal nerve as it exits the spinal canal. This type of pain is caused by compression and/or inflammation to a spinal nerve root. In the lower back (lumbar spine), radicular pain may travel into the leg. Other terms for radicular pain are sciatica or radiculopathy (when accompanied by weakness and/or numbness). It can be caused by conditions such as a herniated disc, spinal stenosis, or spondylolisthesis.
Typical Anatomical Problems that Cause Back Pain
Many of the intricate structures in the spine can lead to pain, and pain can be concentrated the neck or back, and/or radiate to the extremities or be referred to other parts of the body. For example:
- The large nerve roots that go to the legs and arms may become irritated or pinched
- The smaller nerves that innervate the spine may be irritated due to inflammation or degeneration
- The large paired back muscles (erector spinae) may be strained due to overuse or an injury
- The bones, ligaments or joints themselves may be injured
- The disc space in between the vertebrae may become painful
- Any of the various joint complexes in the spine may degenerate and lead to pain
For anyone with a spine condition, understanding spinal anatomy is a good way to better inform and evaluate diagnostic and treatment options. Once your chiropractor reaches an accurate diagnosis for your back pain, an effective treatment plan can begin.
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