The lower back, also called the lumbar region, is the area of the back that starts below the ribcage. Almost everyone has lower back pain at some point in life. The symptoms might range from a dull ache to a stabbing or shooting sensation. The pain may make it hard to move or stand up straight. Pain that comes on suddenly is “acute.” It might happen during sports or heavy lifting. Pain that lasts more than 3 months is considered “chronic.” If your pain is not better within 72 hours, you should consult a doctor.
When the lower back pain is “acute”, then the patient’s everyday life becomes very difficult, and they are often “stuck” at home and cannot move.
Many factors aggravate the lower back pain, and you should know them to protect this sensitive part of your spine.
Some of the most important aggravating factors are the following:
Age
As we get older, it is normal for the spinal discs to slowly lose height, become stiffer and wear out. The good functioning of the cells is decreased as well as their number. Not everyone will develop symptoms from this normal process of ageing. However, the advanced age is not the only reason for cell degeneration in the lower back, as in some people the process of spinal discs ageing, and degeneration occurs at a younger age or a more rapid rate.
Heredity
When substances are produced in the intercellular substance that under normal conditions should not be produced, it is easier to disrupt the structure and function of the disc. In this case, the spinal disc can easily become injured and more vulnerable to various factors of everyday life.
Sex
Lower back problems are equally common in both men and women. The reason that more men show more frequent relapses is probably because they are occupied with harder (“heavier”) manual labour jobs.
Mechanical stresses
The compressions of the vertebral discs from various mechanical stresses can eventually damage the vertebral endplates and gradually lead to degeneration. Some types of injuries may even cause changes in the structure of the disc, affecting all the lower back.
Working conditions
When someone has manual work especially when this job is combined with trunk twists or lifting heavy objects, this may cause lower back pain. Most of the professionals in such works do not take the necessary precautions and safety measures (such as personal protective equipment or PPE) and that’s why they burden their spine. Frequent and repetitive micro-strains (professional drivers-pilots-flight attendants) are another frequent cause of premature wear and tear of the spine.
Similar problems can arise when the spine remains immobile for many hours due to sedentary work with poor (bad) body posture.
Smoking
Smoking is a common aggravating factor for the lower back pain. Several researches have shown that smokers are more prone to lower back pain. It increases the risk of lower back pain and spinal disc degeneration. Toxic substances, like the carbon monoxide from tobacco, can damage spinal disc cells and blood vessels’ interior lining. Nicotine can shrink blood vessels, which restricts the flow of crucial nutrients like calcium.
Over time, cells degenerate or die which impacts spinal cushions and breaks down the vertebral discs. This process can lead to degenerative disc disease (DDD), which often causes lower back pain or stiffness in your spine. Overall, smoking cigarettes causes cell malnutrition, wreaking havoc on your spinal cushions and vertebrae.
If a chronic smoker should perform a spine surgery has a higher chance of being unsuccessful than a non-smoker patient.
Obesity
The excess weight can slow down the recovery of lower back problems. In some cases, they are also responsible for the manifestation of chronic lower back pain, due to the mechanical load from the weight. Finally, obese people are not usually fit and have poor (bad) body posture.