"Oh, My Aching Back!”
Distinguished Lecture Series addresses Back Pain,
A Common Problem in 80% of Adults

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If you've ever groaned, "Oh, my aching back!” you are not alone. Back ache is a fairly common problem; in fact 80% of adults, or three in four adults will suffer back pain, especially low back pain at some point during their adult life. Most people manage to continue working, or return to work within a few days or weeks, despite their pain.  Most back pain comes from sprains and strains caused by stressful movements, and with a bit of medical attention, those will get better. Occasionally, back pain requires more demanding medical help and possibly even surgery.
Back pain may be acute or chronic. Acute pain lasts four to six weeks, but chronic pain is persistent, long-term pain—sometimes lasting throughout life. At times, people with chronic pain can also have episodes of acute pain.  Back pain comes in many forms. It may be sudden and sharp—or it may be dull. Pain may occur with movement, and it may even occur with coughing and sneezing. You may also have numbness in your arms or legs.
There are a variety of reasons for back pain. To get the best treatment, you first need to know the origin of the problem. Your back, or spine, is made up of many parts. Your backbone, also called your vertebral column, provides support and protection. It consists of 33 vertebrae (bones) with discs between each of the vertebra that act like pads or shock absorbers. Each disc has a tire-like outer band called the annulus fibrosus and a gel-like inner substance called the nucleus pulposus. Together, the vertebrae and the discs provide a protective tunnel (the spinal canal) to house the spinal cord and spinal nerves. These nerves run down the center of the vertebrae and exit to various parts of the body.
Your back also has muscles, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. Muscles are strands of tissues that act as the source of power for movement. Ligaments are the strong, flexible bands of fibrous tissue that link the bones together, and tendons connect muscles to bones and discs. Blood vessels provide nourishment. These parts all work together to help you move about.
Back pain may be a result of injury to any or all of these body parts. Injury to the soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) results in sprains or strains, which are generally not considered serious. However, injury to bones, nerves, or blood vessels may be more serious. Also, the outer layers of discs can get tears or cracks, allowing the annulus fibrosus or nucleus pulposus to bulge out. Any of these injuries can cause inflammation and pain.
Having a variety of causes, including poor posture and poor body mechanics, standing for long periods of time or sitting incorrectly can cause back pain. Engaging in certain sports often carries a risk of back injury. Low back pain is often associated with heavy physical work, lifting or forceful movement, bending or twisting, or awkward positions. You may even have a back injury and not know it until a stressful movement aggravates the condition. Uncommon—but serious—causes of back pain include infections, tumors, and fractures.
Back pain can arise in many work situations. The exact cause is often unclear, but back pain is more common in tasks that involve heavy manual labor and handling tasks, manual handling in awkward places, like delivery work; repetitive tasks, such as manual packing of goods, sitting in front of a computer for a long period of time, especially if your workstation is not correctly arranged or adjusted to suit your needs; and driving long distances or driving over rough ground, particularly if your seat is not, or cannot be, properly adjusted. Back pain is a major problem in the workplace and is among the most common occupational ill health problems.
It’s important to treat your back pain properly. Seek medical attention if your back pain persists—and seek immediate attention if you have any of the following emergency signs - Pain is getting significantly worse, pain affects every day activities, severe symptoms, groin or leg weakness or numbness, arm or hand weakness, tingling, or numbness  and loss of bowel or bladder control.

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