What might be causing your back problem?

Most low back pain is triggered by various combinations of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments, and discs that support the spine. Many experts believe that over time muscle strain can lead to an overall imbalance in the spinal structure. This leads to a constant tension on the muscles, ligaments, bones, and discs, making the back more prone to injury or reinjury.

The causes of pain in the low back tend to accumulate over time. For example, after straining muscles, you are likely to walk bent forward or crooked or move slowly to avoid pain, which causes you to use muscles that aren't sore. That can cause you to strain other muscles that aren’t normally used in this manner.

The most common causes of low back pain are:

• Injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, facet joints, and the sacroiliac joints.
• Pressure on nerve roots in the spinal canal. Nerve root compression can be caused by:  A herniated disc, often brought on by repeated vibration or motion (as during machine use or sport activity, or when lifting improperly), or by a sudden heavy strain or increased pressure to the lower back.
• Osteoarthritis (joint degeneration), which typically develops with age. When osteoarthritis affects the small facet 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.
• Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, vertebra defects that can allow a vertebra to slide over another when aggravated by certain activities.
• Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, which typically develops with age.
• Fractures of the vertebrae caused by significant 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. Compression fractures are more common among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, or in men or women after long-term corticosteroid use. In a person with severe 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:

• Ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of joint inflammation (arthritis) that most often affects the spine.
• Bacterial infection. Bacteria are usually carried to the spine through the bloodstream from an infection somewhere else in the body or from IV drug use. But bacteria can enter the spine directly during surgery or injection treatments, or as the result of injury. Back pain may be the result of an infection in the bone (osteomyelitis), in the spinal discs, or in the spinal cord.
• Spinal tumors, or growths that develop on the bones and ligaments of the spine, on the spinal cord, or on nerve roots.
• Paget's disease, which causes abnormal bone growth most often affecting the pelvis, spine, skull, chest, and legs.
• Scheuermann's disease, in which one or more of the bones of the spine (vertebrae) develop wedge-shaped deformities. This causes curvature of the spine (rounding of the back, or kyphosis), most commonly in the chest region.

When your back goes out, the pain can take your breath away. Any of the normal activities of daily living – coughing, sneezing, lifting or bending -- can trigger a painful spasm or regional instability that negatively impacts your overall health and quality of life.

Back pain is epidemic in our country, with more than 21 million Americans currently suffering. All back pain can be divided into two categories, medical and mechanical. Medical includes recent fractures, tumors, infections or metabolic diseases. People in advanced stages of osteoporosis, may be included in this group. Medical back pain represents 3% of all low back pain sufferers.

97% of people with acute or chronic back pain have what physicians refer to as mechanical spinal pathology. This means the pain is a by-product of spinal instability and may result from a herniated disc, degenerative joint disease, sciatica, facet syndrome and spinal stenosis.

Mechanical back pain may develop from inherited, congenital or an acquired condition such as a repetitive stress injury or an impact trauma. Over time, the injury manifests itself through pain. This is when most people go see their doctor. Medication is prescribed to reduce pain, but does nothing to address the underlying problem of the mechanical instability.

Pressure on sensitive nerve fibers from the disc, nerve root or facet articulating joint may cause a cascade of nerve messages to the brain putting the muscles into spasm. This cycle is often repeated over days, weeks, months and eventually for years until the degenerative changes become visible on x-ray and MRI. Physical therapists, Chiropractors and medical physicians perform a variety of techniques that are done in earnest to reduce pain. If the condition becomes too extreme and the pain intolerable, the back pain sufferer may attempt surgery as a final attempt for relief. Research reveals that approximately half of all spine surgeries have less than satisfactory outcomes.

The Lordex System is the leading form of care in the field of non-surgical spine medicine. Following each procedure, patients undergo a stretch and flex program designed to improve lower extremity flexibility and range of motion. It has been clinically observed that the best long-term results occur when individuals take an active part in prevention.

Once a patient concludes 20-30 hours of  Lordex procedures, normally spanning a six to eight week period, they are prescribed a personal  home care protocol.