Any pain that occurs in the region between your upper and lower back is called mid back pain. This area consists of the spine, the spinal cord, discs, nerves, blood vessels, tendons and ligaments. Professionals usually refer to this area as the lower thoracic spine. Any of these parts of the spine may get inflamed or irritated due to various reasons, causing pain which could be severe or mild. Major Causes and Risk Factors of Mid Back Pain Vertebrae surround the nerves that are wrapped around the spinal cord. Between the vertebrae are spongy discs which are made of cartilage. These discs provide smooth motion to the back and act as cushions to them. The ligaments, tendons and muscles also have a similar role in order to give support to the system and improve movement within the body.
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Low back pain is worldwide one of the biggest reasons of loss of work. Increasing sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, lack of awareness about normal physiologic posture and obesity has remarkably increased the prevalence of troublesome back pain. Back pain at one point or another affects everyone. However, back pain that is significant enough to cause loss of work, needs attention. There are numerous causes of pain ranging from common muscle spasms, disc disease, to instability from weaknesses in ligaments or bony integrity. Covering different causes of back pain is beyond the scope of this article. The purpose of writing this is to explain the two terms used in common day parlance, lumbar spondylosis and sciatica. Lumbar spondylosis is commonly implicated for low backache. Lumbar...
Read MoreExperts tell us that over 76 million Americans that are 20 years of age and older, which is about one-fourth of the country's population, say they have experienced pain for twenty-four hours or longer at some point. And it does seem that there are many people walking around with pain these days. Is it because we're more active and take less time to prepare for that activity? Or are there more auto accidents, tripping, and falling accidents? Perhaps it is poor posture and the hours upon hours of sitting in the same position at work that has caused our body to almost lock up? No matter the reason, pain has become a specialty in the medical industry and with that has brought us the pain management doctor. These are specialists that have studied different pains and know that it can be co...
Read MoreIs your smart phone literally a pain in the neck?Text neck is being described as a modern ailment that is due to spending long periods of time staring down at your mobile phone, tablet or other device.Recent research shows that smart phone users are spending an average of 4 hours each day staring at their device (that's 1,400 hours each year!), so it is no wonder that the incidence of 'text neck' is on the rise! And it seems that this relatively new phenomenon is becoming alarmingly common with the increasing prevalence of mobile technology, particularly among younger generations.The posture we adopt as we stare at our phones increases the stress on the neck and can cause excessive wear and tear that could lead to permanent damage.The problem with this is that in order to look at your scre
Read MoreThe prospect of undergoing an MRI scan can be extremely daunting. In addition to the fact that a scan could mean that there may actually be something amiss in your body, the thought of lying alone in a noisy, confined space is a frightening prospect for many. Like many medical contraptions, an MRI is something most of us will endure for the sake of achieving a correct diagnosis. But are they really useful in diagnosing the majority of lower back conditions?What's interesting in using MRI scanners as a diagnostic tool for lower back pain is what they reveal can be misleading to the patient. For example, MRIs commonly show abnormalities in the spine that have no link to the patients' symptoms whatsoever. Wear and tear, disc degeneration and arthritis often come with the increasing age of the
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why after a long work day one may feel pain in the back or when after seating for long or even lying on a couch you may tend to feel some pain? The reason to this is mainly as a result of back pain due to changes in posture. Posture has been linked to back pain in a lot of studies conducted the world over. It is thus important to note some of the most common postures that many people might be engaged in without knowing that these very postures cause back pain.Here are the 5 most common postures that have been shown to cause back pain.The first posture is the hunchback. This comes about when one forms a C- shape when they are working on a desk. This twists the spinal column and if one spends days on end doing this, the spine tends to get acclimatized to being curved.
Read MoreWhen your back is stiff, you will feel it in your upper back, lumbar area, neck and sometimes in your tailbone. Everyone will experience this type of pain and it can be many issues that will trigger this pain. Most of the time, the pain will go away after a day or two, maybe even a week later.But when the pain lingers or becomes more intense, it may be time to get medical attention. Most people will make schedule an appointment with their primary doctor first. He or she will examine the patient, ask questions, and take x-rays.Once they a determination where the pain is at and what is causing it, they will prescribe pain medications. However, when that isn't helping the patient any, their doctor may refer them to a pain clinic.The Goal: Find The ProblemBefore any doctor can heal an aching b
Read MoreBack pain is one of the most common problems faced by women during pregnancy. Every 2 out of 5 pregnant women experience back pain at some stage. However, the pain can't be absolutely avoided; you can surely prevent it from getting worse and ease the discomfort.What Causes Back Pain during Pregnancy?Our joints and bones are connected with tissues called ligaments. During pregnancy, the hormone called 'Relaxin' tends to loosen the ligaments. This generally occurs early on as the level of relaxin is at peak during 10-14 weeks of pregnancy. A woman is most likely to have lower back pain in the first trimester.During the second and third trimester, the expanding womb and the weight of the fetus further puts stain on your back muscles and ligaments. This pain may even be worse if you are overwe
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