Lower back pain is often the result of an injury or trauma to the back. However, in some cases, causes of lower back pain may be the result of a degenerative condition, osteoporosis, or congenital abnormalities of the spine. In other cases, irritation to joints and discs causes the condition. Other causes of lower back pain include obesity, smoking, and weight gain during pregnancy.
As people age, bone strength, muscle elasticity, and tone tend to decrease. The discs in the back begin to lose fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae. Lower back pain can occur when someone lifts something too heavy or overstretches, causing a sprain, strain, or spasm in one of the muscles or ligaments in the back. If the spine becomes overly strained or compressed, a disc may rupture or bulge outward. This rupture may put pressure on one of the more than 50 nerves rooted to the spinal cord that control body movements and transmit signals from the body to the brain. When these nerve roots become compressed or irritated, this causes lower back pain.
Causes of Lower Back Pain: Degenerative Conditions
In most cases, lower back pain follows injury or trauma to the back, but other causes of lower back pain include:
Degenerative conditions, such as arthritis or disc disease
Causes of lower back pain related to lifestyle choices include:
Obesity
Smoking
Weight gain during pregnancy
Stress
Poor physical condition
Posture inappropriate for the activity being performed
Poor sleeping position.
In addition, scar tissue created when the injured back heals itself does not have the strength or flexibility of normal tissue. Buildup of scar tissue from repeated injuries eventually weakens the back and can lead to a more serious injury.
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