Back Pain - Caused by Muscle Damage or Nerve Compression?

Back pain can be a tricky phenomenon to diagnose or treat effectively. On the one hand, nearly four out of every five people will have an episode of back discomfort sometime throughout their lives, either an acute flare-up or a chronic condition. But on the other hand, some people with disc herniation, subluxations, and other disorders may never feel pain caused by those conditions. This indicates that a person's pain perception systems may have as much to do with back pain as an actual injury.

In fact, doctors have understood for years that it is not just the disc disease, injury, or arthritis in the joints of the spine that leads to pain. Much more likely is that accompanying muscle spasms cause feelings of discomfort or soreness at or near the site of an injury. But some people who have had a herniated disc for years may never feel any severe pain. Thus, it seems that it is not until the spinal muscles reflexively react to a disorder that pain results in many people.

Furthermore, neck and back pain is most often caused by an acute feeling of discomfort that may go away after a few days or a week of rest. Neck pain responds much the same to such rest. In these cases, it is the muscles that develop a sprain or spasm and lead to the soreness in the first place. With some time off to rest, the muscles are able to relax and stop the spasms, repair the strain or tear, and the pain is eliminated.

Pain and numb sensations caused by nerve damage or compression, however, may lead to a much more severe and chronic condition. Sciatica or spinal stenosis can be caused by compressed nerve roots, and extremely painful sensations may be felt from the lower back all the way down through the hips to the knees and feet, depending on the site of the nerve pressure.

Healing for nerve damage and compression may take longer and be much more involved, as well. First, compression of the discs may have to be reduced, either through spinal decompression treatments, surgery, or other therapies. Then, the nerve pathways much be reeducated through spinal flossing and by practicing proper movement habits to prevent future injury.

Even after this is done, though, muscle damage and spasms may still be present. And if nothing else, there may be severe muscle weakness and lack of endurance in the spinal and abdominal muscles that support the spine. All of these issues must be addressed once the cause of the nerve pain is eliminated and once the back pain sufferer learns to move properly with minimal discomfort.

The good news is that the vast majority of causes of back and neck pain is an acute problem that lasts only for a few days or weeks. Muscles can relax and begin healing fairly quickly once the reason for the disorder is eliminated or reduced. And even for people suffering from chronic nerve conditions, much can be done to reduce discomfort, learn pain-free movements again, and build up muscle endurance to prevent future injury.