Back pain is one of the most common reasons people go to the doctor or miss work, and it is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Back pain can range from a muscle aching to a shooting, burning or stabbing sensation. In addition, the pain may radiate down your leg or worsen with bending, twisting, lifting, standing or walking.
There are multiple potential causes for back pain. Here are some of the more common causes:
- Muscle strains and sprains are perhaps the most common causes of back pain, especially in the lower back.
A strain refers to tearing of a muscle or a tendon (a fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone), while a sprain refers to tearing of a ligament (a fibrous tissue that connects two bones together). - Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in the body, including the small joints of the spine (called vertebral or facet joints). Spine osteoarthritis occurs as a result of “wear and tear” of the cartilage located between the spine’s joints.
- Sciatica refers to compression or pinching of the sciatic nerve, often caused by a herniated disc or bone spur. An injury or trauma to the pelvis, buttocks, or thigh, diabetes, prolonged sitting, and piriformis syndrome—when a small muscle in the buttocks spasms and irritates the sciatic nerve—may also cause sciatica
- Spinal stenosis causes back pain in the aging population. As you get older, the spinal canal gradually becomes constricted or narrowed, due in part to osteoarthritis and the thickening of tissues in your spine. If the spinal canal becomes too tight, nerve roots may become compressed, causing neurological symptoms like weakness, numbness, and tingling.
- Spondylolysis can also occur as a result of trauma to the spine or from the degenerative changes of aging, which cause loss of the normal stabilizing structures of the spinal column.
- Osteoporosis is a weakening of the bones that can make them more prone to breaking. Back pain from osteoporosis is most commonly related to a compression fracture of the vertebra.
- Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine curves and twists, like the letter “S” or letter “C.”
Ayurvedic Panchakarma treatments like Abhyanga (oil massage), Basti (medicated enema) are very much helpful in relieving Backache, lumbago, prolapsed disc and correcting its abnormalities. The treatment for low back ache is wide-ranging from simple internal medications to intense therapies.
The treatment program most appropriate for you will be selected based on the depth of the disease. Among other things, this may include Upanaha (medicinal poultice), pouring of fermented medicated liquid (dhanyamla), and pouring of medicated oil (dhara) over the affected part.
Kati Vasti– A bridge is formed on the back bone with flour and warm medicated oil is filled in it and allowed to stay for the period of 45-60 minutes. This helps the muscles and ligaments relax and heal; improved blood circulation heals the tissues. This treatment is usually advised for 7 - 15 days depending on the condition.
