Back pain, also called as spinal pain or lumbar pain, is usually felt at the back and can be accompanied with numbness, tingling, or weakness. It may be caused by a degenerative disorder of the spine, herniated disc, tumors, bones or ligaments, or by injuries sustained in many parts of the body. Back pain varies from mild to severe and is more common among older adults than young ones.
Common causes of back pain include degenerative disorders of the spine, spinal stenosis, bulging discs, tumors, bones or ligaments, and injuries to ligaments, muscles, discs, or nerves. Spinal stenosis is an abnormality in the spinal canal size, which may be congenital or acquired. A bulging disc occurs when the protective outer ring of the disc thickens due to trauma or age. Neck and shoulder pain can also be attributed to spinal stenosis.
Some other common causes of back pain include degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, nerve root stress, osteoarthritis, and osteoarthritis of the knee or hips. A nerve root stress develops when there is a “nest” of pressure or tension near a nerve root. It may be due to aging, injury, stress, or genetic conditions. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that usually affects older people and is characterized by inflammation of the joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis and accounts for more than 90 percent of all cases reported.