Back Pain

The spinal column is one of the most vital parts of the body supporting our trunk and making most of the movements possible. The strongest area of the spine is the lumbar spine. It bears the weight of the whole upper body. Besides this it also allows forward, backward, sideways and rotational movements. Being a high strain area chances of injury or sprain is very much possible in this part of the body. Most of the problems translate into pain (medically called “Low Back Pain”) and restricted movement in the low back.

Low back pain (LBP) is very common and 80 to 90 per cent of the people suffer from it in their life at least once. It comes in all ages both in sedentary workers and physical labourers. It is also very common in sports persons (gymnasts, football players, weightlifters, wrestlers). Sedentary workers who have to sit for prolonged periods in the same posture have more back pain. Pressure in the sciatic nerves—the nerves which arise from the lumbar spine and supply the legs (sciatica), is also very common (10 to 40 per cent of the population). It is more common in the aged especially in those who do not perform physical activity or exrcise due to which their muscles start deteriorating with age. Regular moderate exercise maintains the strength and flexibility of the back muscles and prevents back pain.