Uncovering the Symptoms of Back Pain

Back pain can result in a debilitating condition that impacts your ability to relax, sleep, earn a living and simply enjoy life.

Understanding the symptoms of back pain can help you to intervene quickly and seek treatment in an effort to keep an episode of acute back pain from turning into a full blown battle of chronic back pain.

Of all the types of back pain that people experience, low back pain is one of the most commonly occurring.

There are two different types of low back pain: acute back pain and chronic back pain. Acute low back pain is usually a problem that can work itself out over a period of a few weeks. Chronic low back pain, however, can be responsible for aches and pains that last throughout your lifetime. Suffering with back pain, although quite common, is definitely a life-altering challenge.

While the causes of acute back pain and chronic back pain can vary greatly the symptoms of both types back pain are really quite similar. It is the onset of the back pain that varies. Acute back pain occurs rather quickly and is the result of a specific event while chronic back pain develops over a period of time.

Symptoms of back pain include shooting pains down the front or back of the legs, numbness or weakness in part of the leg or foot, the inability to raise your big toe as it is directly linked to the fifth lumbar nerve and the inability to flex the foot up or down at the plantar fascia of the foot.

Other symptoms of back pain which can be considered more serious include numbness or a loss of feeling in the buttocks or around the anus and a loss of bowel or bladder control. These symptoms must be taken seriously and require medical intervention. A delay in treatment can result in permanent damage.

The majority of back pain treatment today is designed to get you moving again and to keep you moving. While in the acute phase of back pain, it may not be possible to continue all of your normal activities especially if the pain is severe. However, it is important as the pain begins to lessen, even slightly, that moving and resuming normal activities become a priority in your day.

Symptoms of back pain are generally quite obvious. But the trouble occurs when you ignore those common symptoms, particularly those of a more serious nature that the real damage can occur.