Lower Back & Hip Pain

Lower back pain problems are a common complaint that most people experience at some time in their life. Although there are a wide range of lower back problems causes, the symptoms are often similar so it can be confusing to self diagnose your low back problems. Depending on the underlying cause of your lower back problems symptoms, the treatments can vary. In some cases, simply resting for a few days without straining or exercising your back will be enough to get you back on your feet. In other cases, you might need to continue taking prescribed pain killers to feel healthy enough for daily activities. In more extreme cases, your lower back trouble may be indicating a more serious problem. In any case, its important to talk with your doctor about what you can do for lower back pain to alleviate symptoms and to prevent further damage.

Lower Back Pain and Hips

Lower back refers to any area of the back below the ribs and above your legs . This area is heavily used during physical activity and often experiences significant muscle usage. Low back and hip pain are often symptoms of straining during exercise. Your lower back carries much of your body weight, and when you do movements like lifting, reaching, or twisting, you can easily injure the muscles and tissues in the lower back. Hip pain and lower back pain are often seen together and are symptoms of multiple conditions and causes.

Symptoms of Back Pain

When you hurt your lower back, you may feel a wide range of pain and discomfort. An injured or ailing back can exhibit feelings of low back pain hip pain and even leg pain. Common symptoms of lower back problems include:

• A sharp, shooting, or burning pain in the lower part of your back
• Pain the strikes suddenly, or starts to affect you slowly
• Back pain that is sometimes accompanied by muscle spasms or muscle stiffness
• Pain, tingling, or numbness in your legs that can travel down tbelow your knees. When you suffer from lower spine problems, the pressure on your nerves can often affect nerves through your legs.

Causes of Back Pain

Although feeling back pain is a common ailment among people, the causes are not always so clear. Common causes of back pain include:

• Strain. When you strain your back from overusing your muscles or lifting/pulling something to heavy for you to handle, it can cause painful symptoms in your back.
• Herniated Disc. As you get older, your bones and muscles begin to lose strength and become more brittle and susceptible to injury. The most common age related injury that contributes to back pain is a herniated disc. This is when a spinal disc in your back bulges or breaks open and releases strong pressure on your nerves and causes pain in the lower back.
• Arthritis. Arthritis, or the general degeneration of joint cartilage and tissue, can also affect joints in your spine, causing back pain.
• Osteoporosis. The loss of bone quality and bone strength makes the bones, discs, and joints in your spine weaker and easier to damage.

With a proper diagnosis, your doctor can help you better understand why you are feeling back pain. In some cases, the cause is clear, for example, if you have just had an injury. In other cases, however, the answer may not be so apparent. Understanding the cause of your back pain will help you in selecting the best treatment method.