Lower Back Pain Prevalence
Approximately 80% of adults experience lower back pain sometime in their life. Lower back pain is one of the most common causes of job-related injuries and a leading cause of missed work days. 25% of adults surveyed said they had experienced lower back pain in the last 90 days.
List of Causes of Lower Back Pain
Most low back pain is acute, meaning the pain is shorter term. Chronic back pain is defined as pain that lasts 3 months or more. According to the “National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke”, the most common causes of lower back pain are:
- Sprains and strains account for the majority of acute back pain
- Intervertebral disc degeneration is one of the most common mechanical causes of low back pain, and it occurs when the usually rubbery discs lose integrity as a normal process of aging
- Herniated or ruptured discs can occur when the intervertebral discs become compressed and bulge outward (herniation) or rupture, causing low back pain
- Radiculopathy is a condition caused by compression, inflammation and/or injury to a spinal nerve root
- Sciatica is a form of radiculopathy caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, the large nerve that travels through the buttocks and extends down the back of the leg
- Spondylolisthesis is a condition in which a vertebra of the lower spine slips out of place, pinching the nerves exiting the spinal column
- Traumatic injury, such as from playing sports, car accidents, or a fall can injure tendons, ligaments or muscle resulting in low back pain
- Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that can cause pain or numbness with walking and over time leads to leg weakness and sensory loss
- Skeletal irregularities include scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that does not usually cause pain until middle age; lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; and other congenital anomalies of the spine
Contact Oklahoma Interventional Spine & Pain for Help
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms or conditions above call and make an appointment with Dr. Jeff Halsell or Dr. Brandon Claflin with Oklahoma Interventional Spine & Pain by calling 918-728-8020 or visit our website.