When you experience lower back pain, you painfully know that you may have used your back a lot lately. Just by standing up, sitting down and brushing your teeth–there are many possibilities on how you can develop lower back pain.
The thing is, lower back pain can be really unbearable, to the point that you would think, “Is this still normal?”
There are major warning signs that you should be aware of to know when to seek medical attention.
7 major warning signs of lower back pain
1. Experience sharp pain and not a dull ache
First on the list, the pain feels sharp rather than a dull ache, which is not normally experienced. The sharp pain may indicate a torn muscle or ligament or an issue with an internal organ in your lower back or side.
2. Weakness in the legs
Limb weakness is often caused by compressed nerves in the spine because of several medical conditions, such as sciatica or spinal stenosis. On the other hand, sudden leg weakness may also indicate a stroke [1].
3. You’re experiencing incontinence
Experiencing lower back pain combined with an inability to regulate your bowels or bladder can be a sign of serious nerve compression or a spine infection, like discitis or meningitis.
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4. Continuous pain for over a week
Usually, lower back pain subsides after several days. Hence, if you have been suffering in pain for over a week, then it is time to consult with a medical professional.
Your health professional will conduct any medical examinations or tests needed to identify the reason for your lower back pain right before it becomes a bigger health issue.
5. Pain radiates to other body parts
If you are struggling with severe lower back pain combined with pain in some other body areas, like shooting pain down your leg, then you should need to see a doctor.
The pain may move or shoot to the glutes or legs, which can be a sign of a nerve compression condition.
Severe lower back pain can be a sign that you have sciatica, which is a form of pain that negatively impacts the sciatic nerve.
It normally runs from the lower back and through the buttocks before branching down each leg.
Sciatica is a medical condition that commonly results from a herniated disk. A health professional will be able to provide different ways that help you relieve the pain.
6. Experience numbness, tingling or weakness
It is known as saddle anesthesia and can be a sign of a more serious nerve or spine condition.
Lower back pain with sensations of numbness, tingling or weakness can also be a sign of nerve irritation or damage. If the lower back pain still persists after taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, you must see a doctor.
7. Pain after an accident
After getting into a car accident, even a minor one, you may fall or acquire any kind of injury that results in lower back pain.
When this happens, you must see a health professional, as you may have more serious bone problems, like a fracture that must be addressed immediately.
Some other causes of lower back pain
Usually, we see seniors experiencing different, less serious, but still painful spine conditions. Most senior patients with spine conditions usually do not require surgery.
Going through physical therapy, medication, injectable anesthetics, or a different of treatments normally can control symptoms.
- Ankylosing spondylitis: refers to inflammatory arthritis that may cause a person’s spine to become inflexible. As a result, it may cause a continual hunched forward position and spine pain.
- Degenerative disc disease – this medical condition can cause your whole spine to be in pain and experience lumbar arthritis, which often causes lower back pain. It commonly develops with age and is seen as a wear-and-tear condition.
- Kidney and digestive issues – experiencing pancreatitis and gallstones can also cause lower back pain in some patients, but others might assume it is spine pain.
- Sacroiliitis – refers to an inflammation of the joints that links to your spine and pelvis. Sacroiliitis is a medical condition that can cause pain in your lower back, glutes and upper legs.
- Uterine fibroids and endometriosis: women may experience lower back pain because of uterine fibroids and endometriosis that can also radiate into the back.
- Ruptured aneurysm – some patients with sudden, severe lower back pain can also experience a ruptured aneurysm, which refers to a weakening and tearing of part of a blood vessel. When you experience this, you need urgent medical attention as it causes internal bleeding, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
- Aortic dissection – the tearing of an inner layer of tissue in the aorta, the main vessel carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body – sometimes causes back pain and can be fatal if not immediately treated.
- Cancer – research indicates that the spine is also prone to absorbing cancer cells that may spread from the other areas of the body. Batson’s plexus refers to a network of veins that connect the venous system and spine, which might directly spread cancer cells to the spine for unknown reasons. For instance, prostate cancer is known to spread to the spine and lower extremities [2].
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How common is lower back pain?
About four out of five individuals experience lower back pain at a certain point in their lives. In fact, lower back pain is one of the most common reasons individuals consult for a health check-up.
Some people are likely to have lower back pain compared to others. Risk factors of lower back pain may include the following:
Age
Individuals aged 30 and above may experience more back pain. Disks refer to the soft, rubbery tissue that protects the bones in the spine and wears away with age. As the disks weaken or wear down, pain and stiffness may be experienced.
Weight
An overweight or obese person who carries extra weight is more likely to have lower back pain. Having excess weight adds pressure on joints and disks.
Occupation and lifestyle
Several jobs and employment activities require heavy lifting or bending may increase the risk of a lower back injury.
Structural problems
Experiencing severe back pain may result because of certain medical conditions, like scoliosis, that change spine alignment.
Chronic diseases
Individuals who have a family history of osteoarthritis, certain types of cancer and some other diseases can put you at a higher risk of lower back pain.
Overall and mental health
Having weakened abdominal muscles can not support the spine, which may lead to back strains and sprains.
A person who smokes, drinks alcohol excessively or follows a sedentary lifestyle has a higher risk of lower back pain. On the other hand, lower back pain can be a result of depression and anxiety [3].
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[1] https://utswmed.org/conditions-treatments/spinal-stenosis/
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1878875020321963
[3] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/7936-lower-back-pain
