What is Mechanical Back Pain?

Mechanical back pain is the term that refers to any type of back pain caused by placing abnormal stress and strain on muscles of the vertebral column. Typically, mechanical pain results from bad habits, such as poor posture, poorly-designed seating, and incorrect bending and lifting motions.

                                The most common type of back pain is mechanical back pain. People with mechanical back pain often describe it as “throbbing” or “aching”. They can also find that their pain gets worse with movement and gets better with rest.

COMMON FEATURES OF MECHANICAL BACK PAIN:

•  It can  begin at any age. Somebody having morning stiffness is lesstham 30 minutes, then it subsides. Pain often improves by rest. Variable onset, may develop quickly. Pain is usually associated with injury or strain. Pain can be described as "throbbing" or"aching" 
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• Some of Common types are,

 LUMBER STRAIN OR SPRAIN – this is usually due to muscle injuries. For example,  injuries may be a result of lifting an object awkwardly, heavy lifting or a sports injury.

HERNIATED (SLIPPED) DISC – this refers to damage or a problem with the spinal discs, the rubbery cushions that sit between the individual bones . Sometimes, the disc has moved from its usual position (slipped disc) and, as a result, causes pain because it irritates nearby nerves. This nerve pain is called neurogenic pain – another type of back pain. If the herniated disc is in the lower back,the pain can often feel worse in your leg than in your back.

VERTEBRAL FRACTURE – broken bones in your spine can be caused by hard physical impacts, such as sports injuries or car accidents. Additionally, patients can suffer from stress fractures, which are small fissures visible on X-ray that can be very painful. Vertebral fractures can also occur with a condition called osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition occurring later in life where your bones weaken, resulting in a higher likelihood of fractures.

DEGENERATIVE DISC DISEASE – this is when one or more of the spinal discs begin to deteriorate. These discs act as padding when the spine moves or bears weight.

SPINAL OSTEOARTHRITIS – a degenerative disorder that is common with older age and that can cause pain and stiffness in the spine and lower back due to a breakdown of the cartilage of the joints and discs in the spine.

CONGENITAL DEFORMITY – conditions are referred to as congenital when they are present from birth. These deformities occur when the spine does not develop correctly in the womb and are rare. Some congenital deformities are mechanical causes of back pain. These deformities include things such as scoliosis (the spine is curved from side to side) and kyphosis (the top of the spine is over-curved and rounded). A congenital deformity that leads to back pain is usually diagnosed during childhood.