Back pain

Back pain

Backache? Back pain is very common and especially among adults of working age. It has been shown that the back improves faster if you are physically active. If painkillers are needed, drugs in the NSAIDs group can be effective.

Causes of acute back pain

Some people have more frequent back pain than others, and it is believed that heredity may be a contributing factor. Back pain is most common in people aged 20-55. People who are not physically active and people who lift a lot have a greater risk of getting back pain. Often no single cause can be found for the back pain, and it can be a combination of several causes. Some people experience a connection between back pain and how they feel emotionally. Worries and sadness can cause you to tighten your back muscles a lot, which in turn can lead to back pain. Back pain can be caused by:

• Stretching of the back muscles; can, for example, come from heavy lifting or incorrect lifting technique

• Torsions

• One-sided working position

• Work that includes operating machines that produce a lot of shaking (drills)

• Poor physical condition

• Crooked back

• Infection

• Pregnancy (25% experience back pain during or after a pregnancy)

• Loose ligaments (most common in young people)

• Wear and tear on the vertebrae (most common among the elderly)

Good advice for acute back pain

Physical activity has a preventive and curative effect against a number of diseases, and this also applies to back pain. It has been shown that the back improves faster if you are physically active. In case of back pain, it is therefore important to quickly return to activity and lie as still as possible, but it is important to start carefully. Hard training should be avoided in the first weeks.

Heat treatment can be tried for acute back pain. The heat from, for example, a heating pad/bottle will increase blood circulation and tension in the muscles can be reduced. The pain can thus be alleviated and movement becomes less painful. If the pain is due to inflammation, heat treatment should not be used. Treatment with cold has not been documented in connection with acute back pain.