How Do I Stop Throwing Out My Back?

We've probably all heard the term "I've thrown out my back" at some point in our lives. Throwing out the back is actually a slang term that has been used and passed down for generations. Commonly, this term actually refers to an episode where the person is experiencing a feeling of being tight, crooked or even in extreme pain or discomfort.

There is no true 100% failsafe way to prevent this from happening. A person's general conditioning, core strength and proper biomechanics all play a role in whether or not they experience back problems. With proper conditioning and correct posture, as well as using the correct technique when bending or lifting, you will drastically minimize the risk of throwing your back out.

What Are The Symptoms of a Pain in the Back?

There are many different symptoms of back pain that you might experience including muscle aches, pain that radiates down your leg, stabbing pain, shooting pain, limited flexibility, limited range of motion and even problems standing up straight. Back pain can last a few minutes, a few hours, a few days or even a few weeks. This is considered to be acute back pain.

Chronic back pain lasts for three months or longer. It can be caused from a number of different conditions including arthritis, chronic muscle strain or a herniated disc.

It's important to note that you should see a medical professional if your back pain doesn't go away using home treatments such as alternating hot packs and cold packs, and taking anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen. If you can't get your back pain to subside within 72 hours, or if it seems to be getting worse, you need to see your doctor.

What Causes Back Pain?

Back pain most commonly occurs after straining muscles or ligaments. This can be due to lifting something that was too heavy or just using the improper technique to lift it. You may move suddenly in an awkward way and actually strain your back. Sometimes, it can be something as simple as a muscle spasm that can bring you to your knees.

Of course, there are also structural issues that can cause back pain. This includes things such as sciatica, irregularities in your skeletal system, arthritis, bulging discs, ruptured discs and even osteoporosis.

A trained pain specialist is able to do some high-tech testing using equipment that many doctors don't have. These tests will allow the specialist to find the exact source of your pain so that they can treat it specifically. This is a much better approach than throwing treatment methods and medications at the symptoms while not knowing what the exact cause is.

Your doctor will do range of motion testing as well as other tests to determine the source of the pain so that they can create a treatment program that will pinpoint that area with precision accuracy.