Has your back been hurting a lot lately?
Age and certain lifestyle choices can damage tissues, muscles and bones in the body, resulting in chronic pain. If you’re wondering why your back or hips hurt, read this article to learn more so you can take effective measures for back pain relief.
Some reasons your lower back hurts
Herniated disc
There are 17 vertebrae or bones in an adult’s lumbar and thoracic spines stacked on top of each other.
A cushiony disc lies between these bones to absorb shock and pressure. Each of these discs is composed of an inner gel and an outer rind.
When the inner gel in any of these discs squishes or slips, it penetrates the outer rind and can impact the adjacent nerves, leading to lower back pain. This is called a herniated or ruptured disc.
This can happen due to wear and tear with age or physical trauma.
Facet joint damage
Facet joints are present in throughout the spine. Within the lumbar spine, they are behind the discs and nerves. When these joints undergo repeated stress or compressive force, the cartilage or connective tissue inside starts to break down, causing lower back pain.
This condition can occur due to obesity, repetitive movements, poor posture, injury, or osteoarthritis. While you don’t have control over some of these factors, you can take measures for pain relief and prevention to reduce facet joint damage. These include maintaining a healthy weight and a good posture.
Some Reasons Your Hips Hurt
Core muscle injury
Also known as athletic pubalgia, core muscle injury is common in athletes or those who engage in intense physical activity that involves turning and twisting. The risk is higher in those whose bodies aren’t used to sports.
A common symptom of core muscle injury is pain in your groin area. It’s not a serious medical condition, and if you suspect you might have a core muscle injury, rest for a few days. However, if your muscles have been severely damaged, it’s time to call your osteopath.
Bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammation in the fluid inside a bursa. This is a fluid-filled sack that sits between muscles, tendons, and boney surfaces, often leading to pain in your buttocks, thighs, or hip region.
Avoid long walks or climbing the stairs to reduce hip pain caused by bursitis. You can also put ice compressions in the area and take pain killers. Moreover, a cortisone injection reduces inflammation and can effectively ease these symptoms.
Hip impingement
Also known as femoral acetabular impingement (FAI), hip impingement is caused by high-intensity exercises that can rarely lead to hip bones fusing. This limits physical movement because hip bones become an abnormal shape.
Since this condition can cause premature osteoarthritis, it’s important to seek physical therapy at the earliest.
While home remedies can help, consulting an expert is essential. At Active X Backs, we provide back pain treatment and the best osteopathy services in Edinburgh. We also have a podcast on lower back pain and sciatica if you want to learn more about sciatica and lower back pain.
Visit our website to learn more.
