Back Injuries – How They Occur
Millions of people have chronic pain due to back injuries. It isn’t as difficult as some people might think to suffer from back injuries. The back has a lot of nerves and muscles in addition to the bones that begin at the neck and go down to the pelvic area. Back injuries can occur when you’re doing simple work in your home or garden, or they can be the result of a workplace injury or accident. Although injuries can occur to any region of the back, the lower back is the area that most commonly is injured.
When back injuries occur, you can be limited as to how much you can move around, and you may also suffer from chronic, persistent pain. There are a few back injuries that are more common. They can include fractures of the vertebrae, muscle strains, and herniated disks. When the spine suffers a fracture, the most common area for this type of injury is the lower back, which is known as the lumbar spine, or the midback, which is called the thoracic region. These back injuries usually are the result of an accident. The treatment will depend on the severity of the injury and if there are other injuries.
Back injuries that are caused by muscle strains are among the most common of all back injuries. Muscle strain back injuries can be caused by bending or twisting too far, or by straining when lifting a heavy object. When the fibers in the muscles are stretched too far, injuries result. The muscles that can be affected by back injuries are the extensors in the back, the flexors in the abdomen, and the rotators, or muscles in the sides. Strains or muscle sprains in the lumbar region are the most common. This type of injury occurs when the ligaments are torn. When injuries occur in this area, inflammation is the result, and this causes pain.
To determine the cause of back injuries, tests must be done to determine how severe the problem is and how it will be treated. Usually when back injuries occur, x-rays are taken to find out where the pain originates. It’s important to find out if there are any fractures when back injuries occur. Sometimes an MRI will be done which gives the doctor a three-dimensional image of the area, so they can determine the most effective treatment. With proper treatment, a complete recovery from this type of injury is possible.
