MUSCLE PAIN
This probably accounts for more Australian health complaints than any other source of chronic pain. It affects literally millions who may wake up one morning and clutch at some tender area either in the neck or shoulders or in the lower back and continue to feel that spot for the rest of their lives.
Back pain can be caused by abnormalities in the vertebral column which are present since birth. But they may also be produced by bad posture or by injuries such as whiplash.
More often, they are associated with simple degenerative processes which occur in virtually everyone. For most of us, such changes are either without symptoms or cause no problem.
But for many people the onset of degenerative processes is often associated with increased stresses and strains both at work and at home. This may lead to further weakening or the degeneration of the supporting structures of the vertebral column and can lead to disc problems.
Lower back pain, occurring in the small of the back or in the muscles supporting the spine, is an extremely common complaint.
To some extent this problem is caused by weakened muscles which can be helped by an appropriate exercise program. In fact, just being physically unfit can lead to lower back pain.
Everyday tensions which generate muscle spasms are another source. Lower back muscle spasms sometimes start with a strain or an injury to the region, such as lifting a heavy load with a bent back.
They are then further aggravated by concern about the pain or by other stress conditions. These spasms are sometimes associated with very little X-ray evidence, making it difficult for doctors to find evidence that tension, or spasms, cause the pain. The spasms may in fact may not be present at the exact moment the doctor examines you.
A full and complete history needs to be taken to ascertain stressful events which may be causing the tension in the muscles, which in turn is associated with the muscle pain.
One of the major results of anxiety or stress is muscle tension, which occurs when muscles are contracted for overly long periods. The usual consequences of prolonged muscle activity include a buildup of toxic waste products within the muscle tissue.
This in turn leads to pain which causes further spasms. Along with the build-up of waste products, there is a decreased availability of oxygen to the muscle tissue because of the relative decreased blood flow to the area.
It is therefore easy to see that such situations lead to pain which can be continuous and difficult to treat without a multi-disciplinary approach.
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