The pain might start as a twinge. Then maybe, a dull ache. After some time, it may just feel like pain that radiates. In short, lower back pain can be an inconvenient and unpleasant experience for many.
But what is considered the lower back? What is considered as lower back pain? Many people may describe their pain symptoms in different way, but thinking it is all related to lower back pain. A trained pain specialist would be able to determine if the source of your pain is coming from your lower back.
What Is Your Lower Back?
Your lower back is defined by the lumbar region of your spine. Between the lowest rib and the top of your buttocks, your lumbar region supports the majority of your upper body. The lumbar region of your spine contains facet joints, discs, and vertebrae. There are five vertebrae bones, with discs placed between them.
The vertebrae protect the spinal cord and the discs provide shock-absorbing cushion between them. The intervertebral discs are jelly like, protecting the spinal column while it is in movement.
And this makes movement easier and safer on the body. The vertebrae are also connected in the back of the spine with facet joints. These joints provide stability for your body, allowing the spine to move in various directions.
Your body’s spinal column is composed of an intricate network of bones, nerves and tissue. This complex network serves as the body’s basis for movement and physical sensation. It is these spinal nerves that are responsible for interpreting the physical sensations as pain signals (or not) and transmitting them to the brain.
When your lumbar region becomes irritated or injured, the nerves in your spinal canal message the brain to feel pain. You may begin experiencing pain when standing or walking, and at different intervals throughout the day.
What Causes Lower Back Pain
There are many factors that lead to lower back pain. It is important to try and narrow down the cause for better treatment. For example, if you spend an extended period of time hunched over, this poor posture can directly affect the amount of pain you feel.
Some key factors that lead to your lower back experiencing pain when walking or standing could be:
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Being overweight
- Prolonged standing
- Disc herniation
- Spinal stenosis
- Sciatica
Some of these factors can be grouped as lifestyle health conditions, while the others are directly related to mechanical issues of the body.
Some lifestyle health conditions can be described as the need to maintain a healthy weight, repeated wear and tear on the muscles of the lower back, and standing for long periods. Carrying extra weight can place additional pressure on your lumbar region, adding strain to the muscles for daily activity. Repetitive motions like improper lifting and twisting can damage the tissue and muscles that help movement. And excessive standing (such as someone working in a restaurant) without rest, can add pressure on your spinal column.
Mechanical issues that contribute to pain in your lower back while walking or standing can be described when functionality is limited when different components of the spinal column begin to fail. If you have a disease that is impacting the health of your spine, you can experience pain when these regions of the body begin to disintegrate.
Remedies For Lower Back Pain
There are various ways for you to find pain relief when walking or standing. Remaining active and exercising safely can increase your mobility and functionality. When your movements are not limited due to pain, activities like walking become more comfortable.
Typically pain symptoms will disappear with simple, at home, lower back pain remedies like rest and gentle stretching. Beginning a regular yoga routine with careful stretching can being to help relieve pain after hours of excessive standing.
While you begin to treat you lower back pain felt while walking or standing, it is important that you do not sabotage your own efforts. Making it a point to remain active and not sedentary can provide significant improvement to your pain. Making a conscientious effort to maintain good posture can alleviate excessive pressure on your lumbar region. And small things like taking frequent breaks from prolonged standing will relieve the strained muscles of your lower back.
These conservative treatments work for many people. They give you the ease of managing your pain symptoms from the comfort and privacy of your home. You may even be able to stop the pain from returning. Because the majority lower back pain aches and complaints are directly related to muscle strains, your doctor may recommend simple treatments like using heat and ice. An easily incorporated combination of both can help relieve minor pain symptoms and reduce inflammation.
Unfortunately for others, the pain relief may not be possible. It is important to know when it is time to go to a doctor and be evaluated.
When Should I See A Doctor?
When you experience lower back pain when standing or walking, the causes may be more difficult to pin point. If you know you stay hunched over at your desk for several hours, it’s easy to place blame on your poor posture. But if you cannot trace your pain to something simple like that, it may be because the cause is mechanical.
You may feel the pain symptoms of degenerative disease or spinal stenosis without knowing that is what is going on. A trained, medical professional will be able to evaluate your symptoms and your medical history to identify these as potential causes.
If you are experiencing pain for longer than three months you should reach out to a skilled medical professional who will be able to better determine the cause of your pain. When pain symptoms last longer than 12 weeks, you pain becomes classified as chronic, and may even escalate in nature.
A lower back pain specialist will review the duration of your lower back pain and diagnose the cause of your symptoms. They will verify your pain history, associated pain symptoms, and review your medical history to better ascertain which treatment method would be most beneficial. A skilled pain management provider will recommend certain tests like MRI’s and CT scans to determine if the source of your pain is a mechanical failure of the spinal column or not.
If you think you are suffering from lower back pain, and don’t know where to turn, call Pain and Spine Specialists today! We are a team of highly qualified providers who will properly evaluate your symptoms and determine the best course of treatment. Let us help you return to full functionality so you no longer experience lower back pain when standing and/or walking. Call us in Maryland at 301-703-8767 | View MD Providers), in Pennsylvania at 724-603-3560 (View PA Providers) or in Virginia (540-433-1905 | View VA Providers)to make an appointment or use the form on our site to send us a message.
You don’t need to live with chronic lower back pain. Let us help you begin your journey to enhancing the quality of your life.