This article will give a background to one of the most common and detrimental chronic condi-  tions affecting the working age and geriatric population.
To understand back pain one has to classify the pain; the two types of pain one may have is inflammatory or mechanical back pain.
Mechanical pain is pain on movement. Rest eases the pain felt and morning stiffness may occur, that lasts less than 1 hour. Inflammatory pain is when a person experiences night pain, and severe morning stiffness lasting longer than 1 hour. Rest may increase pain and moderate pain improves in the short term.
Secondly the cause of the lower back pain will determine how the pain is treated. There are more than 10 causes with the most common   ones being due to the vertebrae (bone), the disc (cartilage), joints, ligaments, and nerve, with all these underlying problems resulting in muscular abnormalities. Muscular abnormalities are the limitations to any movement during the pain as they spasm up in a protective fashion to protect the back from anymore damage already existing. The vertebral (bone) problems are due to degeneration and defects in the bone over time which include spondylosis/OA, spondylolisthesis and stenosis. With defects and degeneration of the vertebrae (bone) it will start to move putting pressure on the nerves, joints and ligaments resulting in conditions such as nerve root compression and locked facet.
Disc (cartilage) problems are due to tears which occur of the materials making up the disc and it is inflammatory and acute in nature. The conditions one can present with are disc pathology or disc herniation.
The above is just the very general, and most people suffering from back pain of any kind don’t singularly fit into the above clearly as most present with problems of one or two.
What is important to note is most of the above conditions are maintained pain free without surgery through correct continuous exercise, a change in certain habits which have over time contributed to the problem, and to achieve optimal health status within the community. For more information please call the Parys rehab department (056) 816 2154.