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Information About Causes of Low Back Pain

Information and resources about the subject of low back pain. The cause of low back pain may be muscular, or it may be a problem with the nerves or bones of the lumbar spine. Treatment of low back pain must be directed at the underlying problem.
Lumbar Spine Arthritis
Arthritis can affect the small joints of the lumbar spine called the facet joints. Lumbar spine arthritis is commonly seen in patients with other spine conditions including lumbar disc disease and spinal stenosis.
Lumbar Muscle Strain
A low back strain, often called a lumbar strain, is an injury to the large muscles in the low back. These injuries are very common, affecting most everyone at some point in their life. Low back strains can be painful and debilitating.
Sciatica
Sciatica is caused by irritation around the sciatic nerve. This causes pain around the hip and thigh region. Treatments for sciatica aim to reduce the irritation of the nerve.
Discogenic Back Pain
Lumbar disc pain is a common cause of low back pain. Discogenic back pain can be difficult to diagnose and treatment can be difficult as well. Diagnosis of discogenic back pain may require the use of a discogram.
Compression Fracture of the Spine
A compression fracture is a common problem in patients with osteoporosis, a condition that causes bone thinning. Often this follows no identifiable injury, and can cause significant pain and disability.
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