Why Is Lower Back Pain Such A Common Problem
The bottom part of your back typically has just five vertebrae fewer than your neck and mid-back. And these vertebrae do a lot of heavy lifting! Your lower back is where your spine connects to your pelvis, bearing the weight of your upper body. This area experiences a lot of movement and stress, which may lead to wear, tear and injuries.
Incontinence And Saddle Anesthesia
Soiling yourself without realizing it, numbness in your groin or inner thigh, or both may be signs of nerve problems, including cauda equina syndrome.
In this syndrome, compressed nerve roots in the lumbar spine cut off sensation and movement in the buttocks and inner thighs . Loss of feeling and paralysis can become permanent without quick treatment.
Cauda equina syndrome can result in serious damage to your healthincluding paralysis. As such, symptoms of cauda equina warrant immediate medical attention.
When accompanied by new and severe back pain, saddle anesthesia is often associated with cauda equina syndrome.
Other common symptoms of cauda equina include being unable to empty your bladder completely, increased frequency of urination, and overflow incontinence.
Patients with this condition also frequently report sexual dysfunction and leg weakness or sciatica, especially if these symptoms are severe or keep getting worse.
Use A Vaporizer Or Humidifier
Dry air can increase your risk of catching flu-like pathogens or make your flu symptoms worse. When a flu virus enters your respiratory tract, it gets caught in mucus, which helps prevent infection from spreading. However, when the air is cold and dry, mucus dries up in your airways, making it more difficult for your body to fend the virus off.
Maintaining a relative humidity of 40-60% can reduce the spread of transmission through your home and relieve respiratory symptoms, such as cough and nasal congestion. It can also help fast-track your healing by reducing pain and inflammation in your throat and helping you sleep better.
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Urgent Advice: Get Advice From 111 Now If:
- you’re worried about your baby’s or child’s symptoms
- you’re 65 or over
- you’re pregnant
- you have a long-term medical condition for example, diabetes or a heart, lung, kidney or neurological disease
- you have a weakened immune system for example, because of chemotherapy or HIV
- your symptoms do not improve after 7 days
111 will tell you what to do. They can arrange a phone call from a nurse or doctor if you need one.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.
Who Should I See For Lower Back Pain
Your primary care physician knows you best and should be your first contact for lower back pain. If he or she is unable to diagnose or treat the issue, you may get referred to a specialist, such as a rehabilitation physician . These specialists practice a comprehensive approach to lower back pain, and can diagnose and treat a variety of conditions that have lower back pain as a symptom.
Later, you may get referred to a physical therapist, a chiropractor or another practitioner depending on the nature of your back pain. The good news is that surgery is rarely needed for lower back pain. Only about one in ten patients needs lower back surgery, Chhatre says.
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What Does Back Pain Due To Covid
If you have muscle pain paired with symptoms like a fever, dry cough, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, headache, or aches in other areas, it could be a sign of COVID-19. This form of back pain feels like cramping or spasming of the back muscles, Dr. Duda says.
COVID-19 is unique because it causes an increased inflammatory response in the lungs and brain, he says. That is why those with COVID-19 can have prolonged headaches for months after the virus has resolved and why people sometimes require oxygen or ventilatory support.
In general, the aches and pains you feel from COVID-19 feel much different than the soreness youd feel after, say, intense exercise. The pain from working out tends to go away after a few hours, but can persist for days with COVID-19, Dr. Watkins said.
Preventing Lower Back Pain When Coughing
Try to keep a natural arch in your back when you cough, instead of hunching forward. Keeping your shoulders down can also help your back relax during a cough.
If you put your hand down on a surface like a table or counter when you cough, this helps the back not to compress.
There are many reasons why you might have lower back pain when you cough. Some are easy to fix, while others might need medical attention. Here are some common causes of back pain and tips for finding relief:
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Can Being Sick Make Your Back Hurt
Absolutely. Several common winter illnesses can directly lead to back pain, though the cold weather itself wasnt the cause. For example:
- The flu One of the symptoms of the flu is joint pain and muscle aches, along with lethargy and exhaustion.
- Bronchitis and pneumonia Difficulty breathing is often either caused by or leads to inflammation and coughing, both of which agitate back muscles and lead to upper and lower back pain.
Why Do Muscles Joints Ache During The Flu
Orthopaedic surgeon breaks down whats happening in your joints when you have the flu.
In the 2019-2020 flu season, nearly 56 million cases of influenza were reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In many of those cases, the virus was accompanied by muscle and joint aches.
Muscle pain is never enjoyable, and can cause alarm in patients, says Thomas Donaldson, MD, chair of orthopaedics at Loma Linda University Health. They can be especially frustrating for people who already experience issues with joint or bone health, he says.
When a body is infected with a virus, the immune system works to fight the infection. Donaldson says this fight could lead you to feel muscle inflammation and weakness called myositis or joint and muscle pain called myalgia. Pain manifested in the joints is called arthralgia is also a commonly associated with a fever.
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Fever Chills Or Recent Illness Or Surgery
A fever may indicate an infection, such as meningitis, infection in the epidural space around your spinal cord, or surgery-related infection.
Common symptoms of spinal infection include, but are not limited to, fever, chills, stiff neck, and/or unexplained weight loss.
Fever, chills, or recent illness with low back pain may be a sign of a spinal epidural abscess, an infection between the outer covering of the spinal cord or nerve roots and the bones surrounding it.
Spinal epidural abscesses can occur in people who have boils, infections in the bloodstream or bones of the spine, and those who have recently had back surgery. People who use intravenous drugs are also at increased risk for spinal epidural abscess.
If you are an IV drug user, have a compromised immune system , and/or have had a urinary infection, you may be at higher risk for a spinal infection.
A recent lumbar puncture during surgery or an epidural injection to help with back pain, for example, can also increase risk of an infection or epidural hematoma .
With a spinal infection, it is imperative to get an accurate diagnosis as quickly as you can.
Treatment focuses on eliminating the infection, relieving pain, improving nutrition, maintaining spinal stability, and preserving and restoring the functioning of your nervous system.
Lesions Sores Bumps Or Warts
If you have any lesions, sores, bumps, or warts on your genitalia, you need to be tested immediately. These are the early signs of a myriad of STDs, including syphilis, herpes, HPV, and HIV. Even if they are painless or only there for a short amount of time, dont brush them off sores can be the only sign of an STD in some cases!
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One In Five People With Covid
Back pain had not been a common COVID-19 symptom before Omicron. Now, however, it ranks among the top 20 symptoms according to the Zoe COVID Symptom Study, in which hundreds of thousands of people log their symptoms every day across the UK. On February 10, Tim Spector, the studys principal investigator, said around one in five people with Omicron have back pain.
So far, its not entirely clear why people seem to be experiencing backache which in some cases has been debilitating and caused limited mobility so much more often when they get sick with COVID-19.
Generalised muscle pain or myalgia could be connected to backache. It could be that COVID-19 causes inflammation which, coupled with muscle pain, manifests as back pain, which is the most common musculoskeletal complaint. But myalgia has been a symptom right from the start of the pandemic and it doesnt explain why backache is becoming much more common now.
Have you read?
This Is How To Tell If Your Back Pain Is Covid Doctors Say
There are numerous symptoms that could point to a COVID case, but some are more talked about than others. Common symptoms include cough, fever, and shortness of breath, but patients have also complained about more unusual symptoms, including rashes and eye pain. Recently, Ellen DeGeneres said she experienced a COVID symptom she doesn’t think is talked about enough: back pain. Of course, back pain is a very common phenomenon, but there are some telltale signs that can help you determine if what you’re experiencing is a coronavirus symptom. Keep reading to find out how to tell if your back pain is COVID, and for more symptoms you may be unsure about, This Is How to Tell If Your Upset Stomach Is COVID, Doctors Say.
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People Who Need More Than One Influenza Vaccine A Year
There are some people who are recommended to have a second dose of the influenza vaccine within the space of one year. These people include:
- Children less than 9 years of age receiving their influenza vaccine for the first time require 2 doses 4 weeks apart for an adequate immune response.
- People who have had a haematopoietic stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant and are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time after transplant.
- Pregnant women, who may be vaccinated with the next seasons influenza vaccine if it becomes available in the latter part of their pregnancy, even if they were vaccinated with the previous seasons vaccine prior to or earlier in pregnancy.
- Overseas travellers, who may benefit from a second dose of this seasons influenza vaccine if going to the northern hemisphere winter and receiving the northern hemisphere formulation there is not feasible.
Please check with your GP to find out whether you fall into one of these categories.
Ease Aches With A Massage
Though receiving a massage won’t likely cure your flu overnight, it can indirectly help you recover faster. In addition to alleviating body aches, massage therapy can reduce levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that weakens your immunity by impairing certain infection-fighting white blood cells.
Many massage therapists do not treat people when they are sick, but a friend or family member can lend a hand as well. Massaging with topical relief creams may improve blood flow and further ease your aches just keep in mind that flu viruses are contagious, and anyone who gives you a massage could be put at risk.
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What Will The Chiropractor Do
Of course, the chiropractor will take your complete medical history and take X-rays or order an MRI if it is necessary. They will do a complete examination to determine what is causing both the back pain and the fever. The chiropractor might have additional questions to determine the source of your fever.
The fever might be the onset of the flu. While most people develop other symptoms first, it can happen that you have a low -grade fever for two or three days before you experience the running nose or congestion and cough.
If your back pain is related to your monthly cycle, comprehensive chiropractic care can oftentimes provide instant relief from period back pain.
Can Lower Back Pain Be Related To Weather
If you feel like your lower back pain worsens on days when its cold or the weather is changing, you are not imagining things. Back pain can indeed be related to barometric pressure and outdoor temperature. Changes in pressure can sometimes cause pain in arthritic joints, including the spine. Muscles and joints in general react to the environment, which can make them stiffer and more likely to suffer an injury.
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Is It The Flu Or An Std 11 Signs You Need To Get Tested Immediately
If youre experiencing some bodily discomfort, dont be so quick to chalk it up to the flu. There are a lot of flu-like symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases that disguise themselves as normal body ailments. If youre sexually active, and youre experiencing some unfamiliar symptoms, read this list! These symptoms may seem like a normal allergy, cold, or flu symptoms, but in reality, they could be STD symptoms in disguise. So please, for your sake, if you have any of these STD symptoms, get tested immediately!
You Are Experiencing Other Muscles Aches Throughout The Body
Matthew Kohler, MD, a pain management specialist and co-founder of Ospina Medical, says that while muscle aches are a reported COVID symptom, they are not likely to present themselves in just one place, like the back.
“It is likely that back pain related to COVID would present with more diffuse pains throughout the body as well,” Kohler explains. And for more on the future of the pandemic, discover The One Thing About the COVID Vaccine That’s Surprising Even Doctors.
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Use Heat To Relax Your Muscles
Heat can loosen muscles and provide relief from body aches. If you dont have a severe fever, a warm bath or shower can be relaxing. But avoid making the temperature too hot keep the water just above lukewarm to maintain your body temperature. Heating pads or blankets can also offer some comfort, but avoid excessive heat and dont use them if there is a chance you may fall asleep.
Your Back Pain Doesn’t Radiate Down Your Leg
If all you have is back pain, it’s unlikely to be the coronavirus or pneumonia. Back pain can arise from a series of non-virus related causes, such as a slipped disc, muscle strain, ligament strains, arthritis, and trauma, Poston says.
Henaku Yirenkyi, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon with World Spine and Orthopedics, says that back pain from these other conditions often leads to a “radiation of pain into the lower extremities.” However, he says that back pain from COVID won’t radiate down your leg. And if you are experiencing back pain, check out these Easy Ways to Beat Back Pain Every Day.
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Muscle Injury Damage And Death
Individuals who overwork the muscles can be particularly prone to a condition called rhabdomyolysis. This is characterized by the death of muscle tissue usually as the result of very strenuous activity.
The muscles of the back are some of the most utilized muscles in the body. Simple activities like standing, sitting, walking, and other, seemingly mundane postural actions all require the engagement of the lower back muscles. Combine this with demanding activities like heavy lifting and muscle injury and subsequent damage are certainly a risk.
Individuals who are most at risk of this type of overworking the back muscles are athletes and manual laborers who are consistently pushing their muscles to their limits.
If the muscles are overworked, not only can this lead to back pain and even fevers, but the tissues can die and breakdown, resulting in a release of toxins throughout the system. These toxins and muscle break-down products then enter the bloodstream which can significantly burden the kidneys. This can lead to kidney damage and in severe cases, potentially even kidney failure,
Treatment of rhabdomylosis depends on the severity of the case. In minor cases, the condition can be addressed with rest and fluid intake to help normalize the blood chemistry. In severe cases that lead to kidney damage, however, hospitalization may be necessary.
Sedentary Lifestyle And Working From Home
The pandemic has confined many of us to our homes, with millions of us working in cramped conditions not ergonomically designed to ensure healthy backs. Even when people havent had to work at home, they have been less mobile on the whole and many of us have spent more time sitting down than at other times in our life.
A study from Malta of 388 people found that 30% of people had experienced chronic back pain pre-COVID-19 compared with 49% experiencing back pain since COVID-19 emerged, with the majority of the latter claiming that they never experienced back pain before the pandemic.
Its not clear from the research whether the scientists recorded which of the participants had actually ever had COVID-19 or not, but the correlation between more frequent back pain after the start of the pandemic has been seen across the world, from Italy to Brazil.
It is possible the cumulative effect of bad posture and extensive sitting down is finally manifesting in peoples bodies.
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