Upper and Lower Back Pain

Understanding Upper and Lower Back Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal conditions, affecting millions of people worldwide. Whether it stems from an acute injury, poor posture, repetitive strain, or degenerative changes, pain in the upper or lower back can limit mobility, disrupt daily life, and affect your overall quality of life.

Acute Vs. Chronic

Acute back pain is usually the result of a sudden injury to either the upper, lower, or mid-back. The injury can be to the surrounding muscles, joints, ligaments, or bone, and often results in inflammation and noticeable pain. Acute back pain can originate quickly after lifting, pushing, or pulling heavy objects, experiencing a car accident or other impact injury, or falling. When back pain is acute, it has usually been present for a duration under three months, indicating that it is likely the direct result of a specific event.

Chronic back pain can also be the direct result of a specific event, and often occurs when what was once acute pain has gone untreated for a longer duration of time (over three months). Chronic back pain can also appear very slowly over time, with what was once hardly noticeable discomfort steadily transforming into severe pain. Chronic pain can be extremely frustrating, particularly if the origin cannot be pinpointed to a specific event. With regard to chronic back pain, it’s easy to believe that it has “always been this way” or that you simply have “a bad back.” These phrases are often used by those suffering with chronic back pain, many of whom find that they have to rely on over-the-counter pain medications in order to carry out their daily activities.

Relieving Pain with Medication

Although it is tempting to turn to pain medication to seek relief from back pain, unfortunately this doesn’t resolve discomfort at its origin point. Many over-the-counter medications work by simply blocking the brain from being able to feel pain sensations, but they don’t prevent the body from experiencing further damage as the result of an injury or imbalance in the back.

Other pain medications may work to reduce inflammation, and while this may reduce pain, it is rarely able to facilitate complete resolution to the root cause of your back pain. Relying on pain medication to block back pain can be become a way of life, but chiropractic care offers a long-term solution to back pain that may eliminate the need for pain medication altogether.