Acute low back pain, low back pain: back pain

Acute low back pain, low back pain: pain in the lower back. One speaks of low back pain if the pain is in the back. In more than 90% of the cases, there is no specific physical apparent cause. The pain may have been caused by overloading the back or a (sudden) wrong move. Often creates low back pain in lifting, reaching or digging in the garden from a twisted position. In rare cases, lower back pain caused by an underlying condition.

 Acute low back pain
Incidence of low back pain
Prognosis and course of low back pain
Possible causes of low back pain

Back pain during pregnancy / Source: Istock.com/kzenon

Acute low back pain

There are many people who suffer during shorter or longer periods of the lower back. Almost everyone has at some time in their lives sometimes suffer from back pain. Typically, low back pain caused by an unexpected movement, poor posture, the always performing the same operation (s), the lifting heavy objects or weights, or a combination of these mechanical causes. Back pain is also common during pregnancy: about 50% of pregnant women are affected. Sometimes, however, back pain can be the result of a more serious problem. In case of persistent pain or if the back pain is accompanied by other signs and symptoms, it is advisable to consult the doctor.

A distinction is made between acute and chronic low back pain. Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks. One speaks of chronic back pain if the pain persists for more than 3 months. Sometimes there is also a distinction between acute and subacute back pain. There is talk of acute back pain with a duration of less than six weeks and subacute back pain with a duration of 6 to 12 weeks. It is in chronic back pain is often difficult to figure out what the cause is. In this article, we discuss the main causes of acute low back pain complaints.

The specific structure in the back that is responsible for the pain, it is almost never been identified. There is often a distinction is made between specific low back pain symptoms and non-specific back pain complaints. Specific back pain is back pain, where there is a specific pathophysiological mechanism and / or a disorder in anatomical structures, such as an infection, an inflammation, osteoporosis, herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), a fracture or a tumor or a metastasis. (1) Non-specific back pain back pain with no identifiable specific cause. This is at about 90% of people with low back pain is the case. (2) It is believed that non-specific lower back pain is associated with an overload of pain-sensitive structures in and around the spine.

Incidence of low back pain

It turns out that 60-90% of the population at some time going through an episode of low back pain in their lifetime. (3) 5% of the population annually suffer from low back pain. For an average GP practice, this means an average of 3% of patients per year. (4)

Low back pain caused by all the complaints of the musculoskeletal system of the highest costs in terms of absenteeism and disability. Especially in the construction and the nurses get low back pain complaints frequently.

Prognosis and course of low back pain

The natural history of non-specific back pain is beneficial in most cases. Of people with low back pain in the general population recovers about 80-90 spontaneously within four to six weeks. (5) of the patients who come to the doctor, is about 65% after twelve weeks of symptoms. (6) Low back pain complaints recur frequently . One speaks of a relapse occur if more than two episodes of back pain within a year, whose total duration is less than six months. By and large, it is true that back pain more often and come back seriously, when the patient has had in the past often suffer from back pain or episodes of sustained, long-term back problems.

The course of specific back pain depends entirely on the underlying cause. Since no general conclusions can be drawn on.

Back pain by sitting work / Source: Istock.com/AnaBGD

Possible causes of low back pain

As already described above, low back pain is often due to mechanical causes. Examples include prolonged poor posture at the desk, in the car or in construction or other work, it suddenly lifting heavy weights or recurring activities without variation or rest. Major symptoms of mechanical back pain is pain and decreased physical function. The patient is hindered in performing daily activities and work. The pain is often localized in the lower back, but sometimes higher. There may be pain with radiation. This occurs on stimulation of nerves running to the legs. Back pain may not always be associated with stiffness, strength and movement limitation.

Pain from the internal organs can sometimes also be felt in the back. For example, pain in the organs in the abdomen, pelvis, or pain felt in the chest in the back. This is called appearance pain. Thus there in acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) include talk of pain radiation to the back. And Candida esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus due to Candida), the patient may experience pain near the breastbone, where the pain may radiate to the back or the shoulder blades. Many intra-abdominal infections (which are disorders in buikholte) as appendicitis (blindedarmontsteking), aneurysm (local widening into a blood vessel), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), nierproblemen, cystitis, nierbekkenontsteking and ovarian disorders such as pelvic inflammatory disease (salpingitis), may cause pain to the lower back.