Different Types of Back Pain
August 19, 2010 by Backs Pains
Filed under back pain exercises
There are a number of different types of back pain and some of them can be rather complicated to diagnose and treat. That’s why it’s important to have a good idea of what type of back pain you’re having. When you can describe the back pain that you feel, it will help your doctor determine its cause and the course of treatment that will be the most effective.
Different types of back pain are listed here along with a brief description of each to help you understand them better:
• Acute Pain –This type of pain can occur fast and it feels like a sharp stabbing pain. Acute pain is very common and it usually won’t last more than three to six months at a time.
• Chronic Pain – Chronic pain can be the result of an injury or some type of medical problem or there may not be any apparent reason for the pain you feel. This type of pain doesn’t go away after a few months and it’s recommended that you see your health care provider.
• Neuropathic Pain – This type of pain is not understood as well as some of the others. Basically, certain nerves in the body continue to send a message to the brain indicating pain when there is no tissue damage actually causing the pain. This type of pain can be described as a sharp severe pain, stabbing, burning, numbness or tingling pain accompanied by weakness.
• Radicular Pain – This type of back pain is usually described as a deep radiating pain that shoots through the arms and legs. It’s often accompanied by a numb and tingling feeling and the person usually feels weak. It’s caused by compression and inflammation or it can be the result of an injury to the spinal nerve root. It can also be caused by a herniated disc or spinal stenosis which is why it’s sometimes referred to as sciatica.
• Referred Pain – This is a dull, achy pain that seems to move around and the pain varies in degree. It can radiate from the lower back down to the groin and pelvis area. This type of pain is caused by any type of injury that occurs to the interconnecting sensory nerves.
• Axial Pain – This is sometimes referred to as mechanical pain and it’s the most common type of back pain there is. It can be a sharp or a dull pain and it can come and go. It’s often caused by muscle strains.
• Anatomical Pain – When the anatomical structure of your spine is damaged in some way either by a sudden jolt, twisting the wrong way or even poor posture, it can cause this type of back pain.
The type of back pain you have will determine what type of treatment you’ll need in order to receive the best results. Some people have a higher tolerance to pain than others do and this has a lot to do with how much pain they feel and how it needs to be treated. What one person finds to be an annoying pain, another person with the same type of pain may find it difficult to walk or even get out of bed. Therefore, back pain is as individual as each person.
It can also come and go and it can gradually get worse with each episode. This is why it’s so important for you to communicate well with your doctor. You need to describe the pain that you feel completely. This information will help them diagnose the problem, possibly the cause and help your physician determine which course of action to take.
