Your back is one of the most critical muscles in your body. Your back provides flexibility and strength to help you move and become productive. Your back also connects major muscles in the body, namely the chest, hips, neck, and shoulders. A healthy spine also allows you to accomplish everyday tasks, such as sitting up straight, moving your neck, and walking with ease.

Thus, your back plays a vital role in your health and productivity, which is why suffering from any back problem is always a cause for concern. Any back problem will make it hard for you to move and, eventually, can adversely affect your productivity. Back problems are also often symptoms of serious health conditions, which can worsen once left untreated for a long time.

Listed below are some of the most common back problems that can cause a lot of pain:

Herniated Or Slipped Discs

A herniated disc happens when a soft tissue disc that sits in between the individual bones of your spine starts to come out. This back problem is often caused by aging-related wear and tear conditions. Your discs become weaker and less flexible as you age, increasing its susceptibility to tearing, minor strains, or twists.

Weight, lifestyle, and genetics are factors that can also increase your risk of developing a herniated disc. Depending on the location and movement of the herniated disc, this problem can result in severe back pain and numbness in the arm and leg.

Because of the advent of technology, symptoms from a herniated disc can be managed by looking for devices that provide support for your back. A herniated disc back brace, for example, can provide stability and compression to your back, helping your tissue discs stay in place.

Bulging Discs

A bulging disc is a spine injury that occurs in the intervertebral disc. As the name suggests, this back problem causes your disk to bulge or protrude. Unlike a herniated disc, bulging disc injury doesn’t come with any symptoms. However, severe back pain can happen if the protruding disc pushes against your nerve roots – the more pressure there is on the nerves, the more severe the back pain is.

Over time, a bulging disc can press some of the nerves on your neck. Once this happens, you can experience pain in the neck, shoulders, and back, along with numbness in the arms, fingers, and shoulders. A bulging disc can also reduce your range of motion.

A bulging disc happens when your body, specifically the back, experiences sudden or long-term trauma. Some of the most common examples of long-term trauma are maintaining poor posture and lifting weights without following the proper form.

Spinal Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is most common for people who are more than 60 years old. This back problem happens when the spaces within your spine become narrower, creating pressure on the nerves located in your spine.

While some cases of spinal stenosis don’t have any symptoms, others suffer from intense muscle tingling, weakness, and pain. These symptoms can worsen over time to the point when you can no longer sit up straight or stand up without the assistance of other people.

Aside from age, spinal stenosis often develops because of the overgrowth of the bones, thickened ligaments, tumors, herniated discs, and spinal injuries.

Cervical Radiculopathy

When a nerve root in your cervical spine gets damaged or inflamed, cervical radiculopathy happens. This health problem doesn’t only impair the functions of your back, but it can also cause drastic changes in your neurological function.

Cervical radiculopathy can cause numbness and altered reflexes that can radiate anywhere from your back, neck to your shoulders, arms, and even fingers. This health condition can also cause tingling sensations in your arms and hands. These symptoms can worsen and can lead to paralysis.

Spondylolisthesis

Spondylolisthesis is a spinal condition that happens when the spine slips too forward and becomes out of place. This back problem usually occurs in the lower back and results in frequent episodes of severe back pain. Surgical and therapeutic methods can treat spondylolisthesis.

The causes of spondylolisthesis include age, genes, and poor lifestyle. Some children suffer from spondylolisthesis because of severe injury or birth defect.

Playing physical sports, such as football and track and field, can also increase your susceptibility to spondylolisthesis. Strenuous physical activities for long periods can put too much stress on your lower back.

Visit Your Doctor

If you’ve been suffering from severe back pain, visit your doctor as soon as possible. There are different causes of back pain, and not seeking medical attention can put your back health and overall health at risk.

The sooner you visit a medical professional for your back problems, the faster you can get back on track and continue living your best life once again!