Lumbago is a term that means mild to extreme pain in the muscles and joints of the lower spine/back. The pain can be acute or chronic and affects both young and older individuals. The spine is a very intricate structure and when one component fails to function properly it can affect the entire body, causing pain and loss of mobility. Back pain costs about $100 billion in medical bills, disability, and lost workdays.
Tiny bones, known as vertebrae, are stacked on top of each other, which forms the spine. The way these bones are joined facilitates movement, flexibility, and range of motion. In between each vertebra are small, fluid-filled discs that are the padding/cushions between the bones. When these discs become damaged, injured, or shift out of place it can affect the surrounding nerves, muscles, and ligaments causing pain and making movement difficult.
At some point, an individual will experience some form of back pain. This could be a sore back from yard work, tough manual labor or hard workout, etc. This is a normal occurrence and can be taken care of at home. If you have a sprained or strained back but not a serious injury icing can help reduce swelling, muscle spasms, and pain for the first 24 to 48 hours after the injury. After 48 hours, switch to heat to warm and relax the sore muscle tissues.
Causes
There are a variety of conditions that can cause low back pain. The more common conditions:- Herniated Disc is one of the most common spinal disc issues.
- Osteoarthritis or Spondylosis
- Osteoporosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spinal Tumor
- Exposure to a cold damp environment
- Poor posture
- Sudden movement/s
- Coughing
- Sneezing
Lumbago Symptoms
Common symptoms of lumbago.- The pain can radiate into the buttocks, thigh/s, and the groin and can cause tingling/numbing/electrical sensations to be felt in the low back, buttocks, and legs and feet.
- The pain can be aggravated when moving around. Bending forward, backward and side-to-side can limit mobility.
- Spine muscle spasms can cause the back to feel stiff with a constant soreness.
- The pain can affect proper posture, which causes individuals to walk bent or hunched to one side.
- Lumbago rarely causes serious symptoms that need immediate medical attention.