BACK

It can creep up on you, or it might happen slowly over time: awkward movements, overdoing it while exercising or overusing your back at work or at home. Either way, a back injury can make it difficult to move freely throughout your day.

While there are many causes of back pain, and several injuries that can occur to your back, the most common types of back injuries include:

  • Sprains and strains
  • Herniated or bulging disc
  • Fractured vertebra

We have extensive experience helping people manage and get past nagging back pain and injuries. Answers to your questions below.

SPINE and BACK - First Health PT

Back Physical Therapy

Questions & Answers

Herniated disc

A herniated disc may be caused by wear and tear of the disc. Sometimes an injury to the spine can cause a herniated disc. This may cause tiny tears or cracks in the hard outer layer of the disc. When this happens, the gel inside the disc can be forced out through the tears or cracks in the outer layer of the disc. This causes the disc to break open, bulge or break into pieces.

 

Herniated disc

Symptoms:

*Depends on the exact level of the spine where the disc herniation occurs

  • Pain
  • Numbness in specific places according to the level of the herniation.
  • Tingling
  • Incontinence of bowel and bladder
  • Shooting pain up and down your leg or buttock

Lumbar sprain

Muscle strains and lumbar sprains are the most common causes of low back pain. A low back muscle strain occurs when the muscle fibers are unusually stretched or torn. A lumbar sprain occurs when the ligaments that hold bones together are torn from their attachments.

Symptoms:

  • Sharp pain
  • Pain and difficulty when moving
  • Swelling
  • Stiffness

Lumbar radiculitis

Lumbar radiculitis is an inflammation or irritation of a nerve root in the lower, or lumbar, region of the spine. There is always some degree of pain present. This pain is a result of pressure on the nerve root where it connects to the spinal column. The most common form of lumbar radiculitis is sciatica.

Back Physical Therapy

Symptoms:

  • Sharp pain
  • Pain and difficulty when moving
  • Stiffness
  • Discomfort travelling from hip to foot

Lumbar strain

A lumbar strain is an injury to the lower back, damaging tendons and muscles that spasm and feel sore. Trauma can injure the tendons and muscles in the lower back. Pushing and pulling sports, such as weight lifting or football, can lead to a lumbar strain. In addition, sports that require twisting of the lower back can also lead to this injury.

Symptoms:

  • sudden lower back pain
  • spasms in the lower back that result in more severe pain
  • lower back feels sore to the touch

SI joints dysfunction

SI joint dysfunction is diagnosed when this cartilage is damaged or worn away, the bones begin to rub on each other, and degenerative arthritis occurs. Degenerative arthritis occurs commonly in the SI joints, just like other weight-bearing joints of the body. One common cause of SI joint dysfunction is pregnancy. The additional weight and walking pattern associated with pregnancy places additional stress on the SI joints. Any condition that changes the normal walking pattern places increased stress on the SI joints. This could include a leg length discrepancy.

SI Joint First Health PT

Symptoms:

  • Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Stiffness

Degenerative Disc Disease / OA

Degenerative disc disease describes the normal changes in your spinal discs as you age. Spinal discs are soft that separate the interlocking bones that make up the spine. It acts as shock absorbers for the spine, allowing it to flex, bend, and twist. Degenerative disc disease can take place throughout the spine, but it most often occurs in the discs in the lower back and the neck.

 Degenerative Disc Disease / OASymptoms:

  • Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Stiffness

We’ve got answers to your questions. Click on the “v” next to each heading to learn more.

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