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Mattress
Answer
Man
Answer
Man
| Back Pain Description and Conditions |
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Lower Back Pain affects 80% of all Americans at some time in their lives. The pain is not a
diagnosis but a symptom. Mattress Answer Man is not a medical professional. Back pain is one of the
major reasons people look for a new bed, thinking this will cure the problem. Mattress salespeople often
exploit this to sell their product. Many times the pain is coming from a poor supporting mattress and a
new one will solve the problem. In other cases there are other steps that need to be taken. If you have
back pain I would suggest you consult a physician. The new mattress can not cure the
problem but it can reduce continued aggravation of the problem.
Back pain is the most prevalent cause of disability in people under the age of 45. Exercise is one way
of strengthening the back. Many have turned to yoga for this purpose Others have used acupuncture to
relieve the pain. An explanation of the back and then some possible forms of relief or therapy will be
discussed in this section.
A human back is made up of bones,muscles,and other tissues that form the posterior part of the body's
trunk,ranging from the pelvis to the neck. A spinal column supports the body's weight and contains and
protects the spinal cord which carries signals that control the bodies movements and convey its
sensations. There are more than 30 bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other form the
"spine".Each of these bones contains a hole and are lined up to form a channel to surround the spinal
cord that extends from the base of the brain to just below the rib cage(in an adult).Small nerves enter and
emerge the cord through spaces between the vertebrae. Because the bones keep growing long after the
spinal cord reaches full length in early childhood these small nerves(roots) can extend many inches down
the spinal column before exiting(these bundles are known as "the horses tail").The spaces between the
vertebrae are maintained by round spongy pads of cartilage (discs) that allow flexibility and act as shock
absorbers throughout the spine to cushion the bones as they move. Ligaments and tendons hold the
vertebrae in place and attach the muscles to the spine.
7 cervical(neck) vertebrae C1-C7
12 thoracic(upper back) vertebrae T1-T12
5 lumbar(lower back) vertebrae L1-L5
sacrum and coccyx fused together at the base of the spine
As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The discs begin to lose
fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae. Low back pain may reflect
nerve or muscle irritation or bone lesions. Most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back, but
pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or
other bone diseases, viral infections, irritation to joints and discs, or congenital abnormalities in the
spine. Low back pain may indicate a more serious medical problem. Pain accompanied by fever or loss
of bowel or bladder control, pain when coughing, and progressive weakness in the legs may indicate a
pinched nerve or other serious condition. People with diabetes may have severe back pain or pain
radiating down the leg related to neuropathy. People with these symptoms should contact a doctor
immediately to help prevent permanent damage.
Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks Exercises are not
usually advisable for acute back pain, nor is surgery
Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months
Conditions that may cause low back pain and require treatment by a physician or other health
specialist include:
Bulging disc (also called protruding, herniated, or ruptured disc).
Sciatica
Spinal degeneration
Spinal stenosis
Osteoporosis
Skeletal irregularities
Fibromyalgia
Spondylitis
Arthritis
If you have any of the following back pain symptoms, contact a doctor
immediately:
Pain is worse when you cough or sneeze
Pain or numbness travels down one or both
Pain awakens you from sleep
You are finding it difficult to pass urine or have a bowel movement
Pain is accompanied by loss of control of urination or bowel movements
Note Internal organs could be sending a problem message thru the back.
diagnosis but a symptom. Mattress Answer Man is not a medical professional. Back pain is one of the
major reasons people look for a new bed, thinking this will cure the problem. Mattress salespeople often
exploit this to sell their product. Many times the pain is coming from a poor supporting mattress and a
new one will solve the problem. In other cases there are other steps that need to be taken. If you have
back pain I would suggest you consult a physician. The new mattress can not cure the
problem but it can reduce continued aggravation of the problem.
Back pain is the most prevalent cause of disability in people under the age of 45. Exercise is one way
of strengthening the back. Many have turned to yoga for this purpose Others have used acupuncture to
relieve the pain. An explanation of the back and then some possible forms of relief or therapy will be
discussed in this section.
A human back is made up of bones,muscles,and other tissues that form the posterior part of the body's
trunk,ranging from the pelvis to the neck. A spinal column supports the body's weight and contains and
protects the spinal cord which carries signals that control the bodies movements and convey its
sensations. There are more than 30 bones (vertebrae) stacked on top of each other form the
"spine".Each of these bones contains a hole and are lined up to form a channel to surround the spinal
cord that extends from the base of the brain to just below the rib cage(in an adult).Small nerves enter and
emerge the cord through spaces between the vertebrae. Because the bones keep growing long after the
spinal cord reaches full length in early childhood these small nerves(roots) can extend many inches down
the spinal column before exiting(these bundles are known as "the horses tail").The spaces between the
vertebrae are maintained by round spongy pads of cartilage (discs) that allow flexibility and act as shock
absorbers throughout the spine to cushion the bones as they move. Ligaments and tendons hold the
vertebrae in place and attach the muscles to the spine.
7 cervical(neck) vertebrae C1-C7
12 thoracic(upper back) vertebrae T1-T12
5 lumbar(lower back) vertebrae L1-L5
sacrum and coccyx fused together at the base of the spine
As people age, bone strength and muscle elasticity and tone tend to decrease. The discs begin to lose
fluid and flexibility, which decreases their ability to cushion the vertebrae. Low back pain may reflect
nerve or muscle irritation or bone lesions. Most low back pain follows injury or trauma to the back, but
pain may also be caused by degenerative conditions such as arthritis or disc disease, osteoporosis or
other bone diseases, viral infections, irritation to joints and discs, or congenital abnormalities in the
spine. Low back pain may indicate a more serious medical problem. Pain accompanied by fever or loss
of bowel or bladder control, pain when coughing, and progressive weakness in the legs may indicate a
pinched nerve or other serious condition. People with diabetes may have severe back pain or pain
radiating down the leg related to neuropathy. People with these symptoms should contact a doctor
immediately to help prevent permanent damage.
Acute or short-term low back pain generally lasts from a few days to a few weeks Exercises are not
usually advisable for acute back pain, nor is surgery
Chronic back pain is pain that persists for more than 3 months
Conditions that may cause low back pain and require treatment by a physician or other health
specialist include:
Bulging disc (also called protruding, herniated, or ruptured disc).
Sciatica
Spinal degeneration
Spinal stenosis
Osteoporosis
Skeletal irregularities
Fibromyalgia
Spondylitis
Arthritis
If you have any of the following back pain symptoms, contact a doctor
immediately:
Pain is worse when you cough or sneeze
Pain or numbness travels down one or both
Pain awakens you from sleep
You are finding it difficult to pass urine or have a bowel movement
Pain is accompanied by loss of control of urination or bowel movements
Note Internal organs could be sending a problem message thru the back.
This page describes the back and its components and gives a list a list of
possible problems that may cause back pain.
possible problems that may cause back pain.
Some of the information in this section
was obtained from the following.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm
http://www.back.com
http://www.webmd.com
was obtained from the following.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/index.htm
http://www.back.com
http://www.webmd.com
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