What is Chronic Back Pain?

Chronic back pain is a broad term that is used to describe back pain that is beyond the point of tissue healing or that type of pain which lasts for a period of more than three to six months. Chronic pain can make life a struggle for a lot of unfortunate people and even after the best treatment options it may not relive the patient from his pain and discomfort.

Most of the time chronic back pain causes include medical conditions like spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis as well as degenerative disc disease. When chronic back pain is caused by the mentioned causes it can go on and on until it is treated successfully either through back pain surgeries or through more conservative treatment options.

CHRONIC BACK PAIN CAUSES

As mentioned above most of the known causes for back pain are spinal stenosis, spondylitis as well as degenerative disc diseases. Usually spinal stenosis is a condition where the spinal canal through which the spinal canal passes becomes narrow and that in turn puts pressure on the nerve roots causing severe pain to the patient. Spondylitis causes pain because of the chronic inflammation of the spine.

Apart from these known causes for chronic back pain sometimes pain has no known cause like neuropathic pain as well as fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a medical condition that causes tenderness as well as chronic muscle pain; however the reason behind this pain remains unclear.

DIAGNOSIS

The diagnosis of chronic back pain usually starts with a thorough physical examination where the doctor notes carefully the area where the pain begins. The doctor may also examine the patient’s daily activities, symptoms as well as any other medical condition. Your doctor may also go for imaging tests like X-rays, CT scans as well as MRI scan.