Acute lower back pain is a common concern of people, affecting up to 80% of the American population. Around 50% experience more than one episode of back pain. Acute lower back pain is not considered a disease. It is rather a symptom that occurs from different processes. In fact, in around 70% of people with lower back pain, no specific cause can be identified despite thorough medical examinations. Nevertheless, there are some reasons or incidences that trigger the pain to attack. Read on and know some of them.

Lower Back Pain Causes

Some of the reasons why a person experiences acute lower back pain are injuries or diseases in bones, muscles, and spinal nerves. The pain caused by organ abnormalities within the pelvis, abdomen, or chest may also be experienced in the back. Different intra-abdominal disorders such as kidney diseases, appendicitis, aneurysm, pelvic infections, ovarian disorders, bladder infections, and others can cause lower back pain. Even normal pregnancy can cause acute lower back pain in many ways, such as stretching pelvis ligaments, straining the lower back, and irritating nerves. All these will be considered by your doctor as he evaluates your pain.

Another probable reason for acute lower back pain is nerve impingement, which is said to be caused by the herniation of the disc located between the lower back bones. One example of nerve root impingement is sciatica, which causes acute lower back pain that affects a specific area in the back with associated numbness in the leg area supplied by the affected nerve. You may also experience acute lower back pain due to spondylosis that occurs when the intervertebral discs lose its volume and moisture with age, thereby decreasing the height of the disc. Even minor physical trauma in similar circumstances may also cause nerve impingement and inflammation, thereby producing classic sciatica without rupturing the disc.

Lower back pain symptoms may also manifest if you have spinal stenosis, with pain characterized as radiating down to the lower extremities of the body, particularly when standing or walking at a prolonged period of time. Acute lower back pain may also be caused by cauda equine syndrome, a medical emergency that occurs when the spinal cord is directly compressed. Back pain symptoms may also signal myofascial pain accompanied by tenderness in affected areas, immobile muscle groups, and pain in the peripheral nerves.

Other reasons for acute lower back pain include fibromyalgia, osteomyelitis, nerve inflammation, and tumors. Fibromyalgia causes tenderness and pain throughout the body, fatigue, generalized stiffness, muscle aches, and lower back pain. Osteomyelitis is the infection of the spinal bones, which causes pain and stiffness in the spine. Tumors, especially cancerous tumors are also considered a source of acute lower back pain. Inflammation of spinal nerves occurs when the spinal nerves are infected with the virus called herpes zoster. This virus causes shingles in the spine and can affect the lower back area thereby causing lower back pain and the thoracic area thereby causing upper back pain.

The conditions mentioned above are some of the factors that trigger acute lower back pain. It is never right to make assumptions, so if you feel any of the symptoms mentioned above, consult with your doctor immediately.