Back problems are another source of chronic pain. Sciatica affects the lower back and legs. It starts in the sciatic nerve, which runs down the lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs. A herniated disk that puts pressure on the sciatic nerve often triggers sciatica. Spinal stenosis; a narrowing of the spine, can also put pressure on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be very painful, but medicines, physical therapy, and other treatments usually improve the pain within a few weeks.
Sometimes back pain can be traced to the kidneys, which are located on the back side of the body. Many people mistake kidney pain for back muscle strains. The most common causes of kidney pain are infection, kidney stones, polycystic kidney disease (in which growths called cysts form in the kidneys), bleeding, and kidney cancer. Because kidney pain can signal a more serious condition, it’s important to call the doctor for any constant, dull pain on one side of the back.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), almost everyone will experience low back pain. There are many causes. Your spine is made up of bones called vertebrae separated by cushions, called discs. The vertebrae are attached to spinal muscles and to each other by ligaments and tendons. A … Read More
Your sciatic nerve is the main nerve supplying your leg. This large nerve leaves your spinal cord in your lower back and passes between the bones (vertebrae) of your spine. Pinching (compression) of the nerve where it passes between the spinal vertebrae is the usual cause of sciatica. Compression is … Read More
According to the National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), spinal adjustment or manipulation is usually done by a chiropractor. It is done by hand or by a device to place a sudden thrust on a joint of the spine, causing it to move more … Read More
It is well known that a short period of pain – called acute pain – can raise your blood pressure. Several studies show that people with long-term pain – called chronic pain – may develop long-term high blood pressure called hypertension. In more ways than one, pain can cause high … Read More
High blood pressure – hypertension – used to be when your blood pressure was consistently 140 over 90 or higher. In 2017, the American Heart Association (AHA) lowered the number to 130 over 80 and changed the blood pressure chart categories. [1] The only way to know if you have … Read More
What is a "mild heart attack"? You may have heard the expression and wondered exactly what it means. A bone can have a hairline fracture or a major break. A stroke can have relatively minor consequences or be severely debilitating. So can a heart attack be mild or major? The … Read More
Almost everyone gets back pain at some point. People may say they have a backache or back spasm, or that they threw their back out. These are all descriptions of acute low back pain, back pain that starts suddenly. A muscle spasm is another word for a muscle cramp. It … Read More
Although a stress-induced increase in cortisol secretion is beneficial in the short-term, excessive or prolonged cortisol secretion may lead to high cortisol symptoms. Cortisol is a vital hormone produced and secreted by the adrenal glands. The hormone is released in a rhythmic fashion, with levels peaking in the morning (to … Read More
Do you have a caffeine addiction? It's not uncommon. As little as 100 milligrams of caffeine a day, the amount in about 12 ounces of coffee, can lead to symptoms of caffeine withdrawal — e.g., headaches and marked fatigue—when caffeine consumption is discontinued. Higher daily doses of caffeine (the average … Read More
Like the upper back, the mid-back region is very stable, and this stability gives it some protection from injury. But the same underlying conditions and circumstances that can result in upper back pain also can result in middle back pain. These include: 1. Poor posture This is a major risk … Read More
