Why Does My Lower Back Hurt?

By Ujala Cygnus

Reviewed by : Jalaz Jain

January 28, 2022

Your lower back is responsible for holding the weight of your upper body. Therefore, slight discomfort in your lower back somehow affects your upper body too. About 80% of people experience back pain at some point and ask why my lower back is paining?

The moving parts of your body can cause trouble. Those parts of the body are:

Vertebrae: Five bones are numbered L1 through L5, where L stands for Lumbar.

Disks: These are the spongy structures present between the vertebrae cushions and bones.

Ligaments are connected to the vertebrae and keep them in place.

Tendons connect your muscles to your spinal column.

Nerves: Sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in the body.

It often happens that your back hurts, and you keep wondering why my lower back is paining , and take pain killers to relax your muscles. However, if your pain is severe, it is advisable to contact a skilled doctor and get it checked. You can get it checked from Ujala Cygnus Hospital to get the best treatment from experienced doctors.

Types of Low Back Pain

Lower back pain usually lasts for a few days to a few weeks if acute. However, if your back pain exceeds three or more months, that will be termed chronic. In addition, you might be aware of the term “mechanical” low back pain. It means that the problem involves the moving parts of your back, including disks, vertebrae, ligaments, tendons and muscles.

Lower back pain is also termed lumbar syndrome or lumbago. Your back pain can vary and can be described as:

Aching

Burning

Sharp

Stabbing

Dull

Vague

The pain can also go to your butt, hips or thighs.

If you suffer from lower back pain and wonder why does my lower back hurt so much, you may contact an experienced doctor from Ujala Cygnus Hospital and know the cause of the lower back pain. Remember, it is not age-restricted.

What causes Low back Pain?

Low back pain generally occurs if you lift something heavy. With age, your back shows wear and tear, and in medical terms, it is called “spondylosis”, in which the parts of your spine worse over time. This might create many problems in the future, some of which are mentioned below.

Strains: Overstretching, twisting or lifting something heavy can strain your tendons leading to low back pain.

Degenerated discs: Bending, flexing and twisting can wear out the healthy cushions present at your back. When they start wearing out, they cannot absorb the shock of such movements.

Herniated or ruptured discs: These are the bulged out disks present between your vertebrae.

Radiculopathy: When a spinal nerve is inflamed, the pain goes down your legs, causing a tingling sensation and pain.

Sciatica: It is a nerve that goes through your butt to your legs. Inflammation of this nerve can cause pain and a burning sensation in your feet.

Spondylolisthesis: This condition occurs when a vertebra slips out of place, causing pain in the spinal nerves.

Spinal stenosis: Pressure on the nerves makes your legs numb and weak, causing spinal stenosis.

These are only some causes that answer ‘ why does my lower back hurt?’. Unattended long-term conditions can also cause back pain. Some of which are:

An inflammatory disease like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis

Osteoporosis (Bones losing density with age and may lead to fractures)

Scoliosis (curved spine)

Endometriosis, which occurs when tissue in the uterus grows in other parts of the body

Back pain can also cause other serious conditions if not given attention on time. Some of the serious conditions that answer to why do I have pain in my lower back include:

Infections of your vertebrae (osteomyelitis), disks or joints that connect your spine to your pelvis.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (swollen blood vessels that supply various parts of the body)

Kidney stones

Tumours

In rare cases, such infections might lead to cancer development if left unattended. Therefore it is important to consult a doctor and tell them the symptoms so that they can tell you why you have pain in your lower back and provide you with the right treatment.

Who’s at risk?

The reasons that can cause back pain are:

Age: As you age, your back wears and tears trouble you with back pains.

Being out of shape: Regular exercise strengthens your back and abdominal muscles, supporting the structure of your spine. Therefore, if you don’t exercise, you might suffer from back pain at an early age.

Obesity: Extra weight strains your back causing back pain.

Pregnancy: The extra weight of the baby might strain your back. This is temporary as the problem goes away after the baby’s arrival.

Genetics: The problem gets inherited if your parents suffer too.

Your job: If your posture is poor during a desk job, it might lead to severe back pain. Therefore, you should not sit in a stooping position.

A heavy backpack: Make sure that the weight of your child’s backpack is not more than 20%. If the weight exceeds, then it might lead to troublesome back pain.

“ Why is my lower back paining? ” is a very common question that bothers many people. You can get the answer to this question by contacting a good doctor at Ujala Cygnus Hospital. Do not ignore your back pain and consult a doctor now. At Ujala Cygnus Hospital, you will find a lot of doctors who can provide you with the best treatment.