Many people have experienced lower back pain at least once in their lifetime. Luckily, there are known lower back pain causes that can be one by one ruled out with the help of a medical professional. The availability of information makes it easier to find treatment, so read on and know more about the different causes of lower back pain.

There are many lower back pain causes. These include nerve irritation, lumbar strain, bony encroachment, lumbar radiculopathy, and some other joints and bone conditions. Each of these lower back pain causes is reviewed in this article.

1. Irritation in the nerves

Nerve irritation is one of the common lower back pain causes. The lumbar spine nerves can easily be irritated by any disease anywhere along the nerves' paths, from the roots of the spinal cord to the surface skin. This condition causes radiculopathy or lumbar disc disease, nerve inflammation, and bony encroachment.

2. Lumbar Strain

Being one of lower back pain causes, a lumbar strain can be very painful as it is the result of a stretching injury that occurred in the lower back muscle ligaments and tendons, thereby causing different degrees of microscopic degeneration in the affected tissues. This condition is often caused by trauma, overuse, or improper use. Lumbar strain is classified into two types: acute lumbar strain which means that the lower back pain has been felt by the patient for days or weeks while chronic lumbar strain has been felt for more than three months already.

3. Bony Encroachment

Bony encroachment, one of the common lower back pain causes, is the result of any growth or movement of the lumbar spine vertebrae that limits the encroachment or space for the adjacent nerves and spinal cord. Bony encroachment is caused by foraminal narrowing, spondylolisthesis, and spinal stenosis. These conditions often lead to sciatica pain that runs down the lower portion of the body. Spinal stenosis causes pains in the lower extremity, which can be worse with walking activities and can be better by resting. Treatment of these conditions can vary depending on how severe the condition and can range from resting to surgical decompression done by removing the bone that compresses nervous tissue.

4. Lumbar Radiculopathy

A type of nerve irritation, lumbar radiculopathy is a result of the damages in the discs along the vertebrae. This is usually caused by degeneration or wear and tear of the outer ring of the discs, traumatic injury, or even both. Because of these, the middle portion may rupture or be herniated through the outer ring of the disc and adjacent to the spinal column. The damage in this area causes sciatica pain that can be felt through the legs.

5. Joint and Bone Conditions

Joint and bone conditions are also common lower back pain causes. These conditions include congenital injury, degenerative injury, or injuries caused by the inflammation of joints (arthritis). Congenital injuries or bone conditions include spina bifida and scoliosis. Degenerative joint and bone conditions result from the changes in our body's cartilage. One of the common degenerative joint and bone conditions is called spondylosis, or the narrowing of the normal space between the vertebrae. Other joint and bone conditions include fractures and arthritis.

The lower back pain causes mentioned and discussed above are just some of the many factors causing lower back pain. If you抳e been experiencing pain in your lower back, visit your physician right away so your doctor can devise an effective treatment plan for your lower back pain.