Back pain is a common ailment among many people, and because back pain is often a symptom of a separate diagnosis or illness, doctors will often try to figure out and treat that separate ailment rather than the back pain itself. One problem commonly overlooked over more frequent problems such as strains and sprains, slipped and herniated disks, and several types of chronic pain disorders (such as fibromyalgia, osteoporosis or osteoarthritis) is a problem with the thyroid. The thyroid is a gland located in the base of your neck, and is responsible for controlling how quickly the body uses energy, makes proteins, and how sensitively the body reacts to other hormones. It can easily be overlooked as a source to back pain, especially if few of the other symptoms are present.

Hyperthyroidism is a thyroid problem which results in the thyroids inability to produce the proper amount of certain hormones. It tends to produce way too many, causing further problems throughout the body. Hyperthyroidism presents many other symptoms, such as fatigue, weight gain, weakness, intolerance to cold, irritability, dry and pale skin, hair loss, constipation, muscle cramps, and depression. Signs of these symptoms should be noted by your doctor, as well as specific blood tests taken by your doctor to determine if you have a thyroid problem. Typically, your doctor will examine and feel the thyroid for any abnormalities or changes, and possibly elevate your hormone levels for a proper and accurate diagnosis.

Back pain due to thyroid issues is typically the result of muscle cramps or spasms, one of the symptoms that ties in with hyperthyroidism. Pain in the neck may also be experienced due to the gland swelling. A low-grade headache can also be felt along with these aches and pains along the middle and lower back. Because constipation is also a symptom of hyperthyroidism, its not surprising that the cramping and abdominal pain from that may also carry over to the back. To treat hyperthyroidism, your bodys level of hormones must be balanced and controlled with medication that blocks the thyroids overproduction of hormones. Once your body reacts positively to the medication, the disease is easy to control. Once this happens, the back pain should dissipate. Should the back pain remain, anti-inflammatory and pain medications can be prescribed.

Back pain can come from many different sources, but is almost always the result of a separate diagnosis, so its important to find just the right one to properly treat it. Experiencing several of the symptoms listed along with back pain is a definite red flag for hyperthyroidism, and should be addressed immediately. Nobody wants to suffer from back pain alone, but suffering with back pain plus a myriad of other symptoms takes an even more frustrating and stressful toll on the body. Hyperthyroidism can lead to diabetes, obesity, and other problems if left untreated, so it is extremely important to get a proper diagnosis should you experience back pain and tenderness along with any of the above symptoms.