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Back pain: The eight signs indicating your pain could be something more serious

Lottie Casas March 9, 2021

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Back pain is a nuisance and, sadly for some, a big part of life. Most often it can come down to a pinched nerve and is nothing too alarming. However, occasionally back pain could be something far more serious.

In many cases, back pain can be as commonplace as a mild headache, a sneeze here and there, or eye strain.

In fact, non-specific low back pain is a frequent ailment.

One study report that the lifetime prevalence of chronic low back pain is as high as 84 percent, making one’s chances of experiencing discomfort at one time or another pretty high.

The NHS lists the eight signs your back pain could indicate something more serious which include:

  • Numbness or tingling around your genitals or buttocks

  • Difficulty peeing

  • Loss of bladder or bowel control

  • Chest pain

  • A high temperature of 38C or above

  • Unexplained weight loss

  • A swelling or a deformity in your back

  • It does not improve after resting or is worse at night

  • It started after a serious accident, such as after a car accident

    • Specific back pain can signify a more serious underlying health issue.

    Damage to parts of a person’s spine can be the cause of back pain, warned Bupa.

    Examples of this are:

  • A slipped (herniated) disc – when a disc bulges and puts pressure on your spinal nerves

  • A fracture – a crack or break in one of the bones in your back, perhaps due to osteoporosis

  • Inflammatory low back pain – caused by a condition such as ankylosing spondylitis. In this condition your immune system causes inflammation in the spinal joints and ligaments

    • In rare cases, back pain can also be caused by a serious condition such as an infection or cancer, but this is very uncommon, added the health body.

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    Dr Mark Drymalski said: “While back pain is very common and usually benign and self-limiting, there are some signs and symptoms which could indicate a more serious medical condition requiring further evaluation and treatment.

    “There are several conditions that can cause intense back pain, many of which centre on the bones or discs.

    “But you also might be wondering, “How do I know if my back pain is kidney-related? Problems with what other organs can cause lower back pain?”

    List of conditions which can bring about extreme back pain include:

    • Fractures
    • Disc herniations
    • Cauda equina syndrome
    • Tumours
    • Disc or bone infections
    • Kidney infections or kidney stones
    • Osteoporosis
    • Meningitis

    Source: Read Full Article