CBI Health Group offers local physiotherapy centres all across Canada with a brand you can trust for excellence. The next time you are experiencing back pain be sure to check out the pysiotherapy centres by CBI

1. Common Causes of Back Pain

2.  Back pain is one of those things in life that can be a
mild irritation or it can be completely debilitating,
depending on the severity. Most people suffer from
back pain at one point or another, but it is when it
becomes a chronic condition that it really interferes
with quality of life.
 Luckily, most instances of back pain are due to
muscular strain and these injuries tend to heal
themselves. The fact that muscles have the blood
supply necessary to provide the proper nutrients to
the injured area, means that healing will take place
most of the time regardless of the treatment protocol.
 Aside from the common muscle strain, back pain has
a handful of common causes.

3. Herniated Disk
 Most people have heard of a herniated disk, which
refers to a crack in one of the rubbery disks between
your vertebrae. In a typical spinal disk, the inner
layer, called the nucleus is soft and the outer layer
called the annulus is tougher and more pliable.
 These disks help protect your vertebrae from rubbing
against one another. When one herniates and the
nucleus bulges out, it may press on the nerves
surrounding the vertebrae and cause back pain,
numbness or weakness.
 A herniated disk may be caused by things like a
sedentary lifestyle, improper lifting, obesity, trauma
to the back and even smoking.

4. Osteoporosis
 Osteoporosis is a condition that’s on the list of
“things to avoid as we age” for most people.
Osteoporosis can affect bones in several different
sites, including those of the back. Basically, as
people age the density of the bones may decrease
because the amount of calcium in the bones
decreases.
 The result is bones that are more brittle than
earlier in life, and if the condition is in your
spine, routine daily activities can become painful
and hazardous.

5. Spine Degeneration
 Aging also accounts for certain degenerative
changes in the spine as the disks lose flexibility and
flatten out. Without the normal cushioning effect,
the facet joints between each vertebrae will press
against one another and cause pain. Sometimes,
your body may even end up building new bone to
try and compensate for the changes in the
vertebrae.
 Osteoarthritis is another degenerative condition
that may result in cartilage between the facet joints
breaking down. If this happens, any joint
movement produces a greater amount of friction,
which also produces a greater amount of pain.

6. Spinal Stenosis
 Spinal stenosis is a condition where the spine has
narrowed in one of three different areas:
 The canals where nerves come out from the spine
 The space at the very center of the spine
 The spaces between the vertebrae
 The narrowing effect of spinal stenosis puts
pressure on the surrounding nerves and spinal
cord, causing pain. It is a condition that’s most
common in both men and women over 50 years
old, but younger people who has suffered an
injury or were born with a narrow spinal canal
may also have it.

7. Obesity
 The growing obesity problem has created more
back problems than ever before. It stands to
reason that excess weight in the midsection is
going to pull down on the low back and put
pressure on the disks and muscles. Having a
disproportionate amount of weight in the front
throws everything out of balance and even
simple, everyday tasks can become dangerous.

8. Prevention & Management
 Luckily, many instances of back pain can be remedied through non-surgical means
like physiotherapy. In people who are overweight, sometimes simply losing the
excess weight is enough to correct the back issue.
 Most back pain patients improve with a protocol of controlled exercises, stretches and
physical therapy. Some require the use of nonaddictive, non-steroidal anti-
inflammatory drugs, but surgery is usually reserved for those who don’t show
improvement with conventional therapy methods. Some people also do well with
various forms of water therapy or through chiropractic manipulations.
 To help with the prevention of back pain, keeping your weight at a healthy level will
certainly help, as will staying away from smoking. Being physically active also keeps
the disks loose and lubricated. This may consist of regular workouts or playing
actual sports. If the flexibility and strength of the spine is built up and maintained
through regular exercise, the likelihood of back problems will diminish.