PHC 261 Occupational Health

Running head: LOW BACK PAIN 1
Low Back Pain
Name
Institutional Affiliation

LOW BACK PAIN 2
Low back pain
Low back pain can be termed as the discomfort and pain that occurs above the inferior gluteal
folds and below the costal margin. It involves nerves, bones, and muscles. The pain could vary
between a sharp and sudden feeling to a dull ache constantly occurring [ CITATION Dag11 \l 1033 ].
Low back pain can be classified as acute i.e. lasting for a duration of less than six weeks or
chronic i.e. lasting for more than 12 weeks.
Causes
In many occasions, low back pains are caused by injuries to the soft tissue and mechanical issues
[ CITATION Dag11 \l 1033 ]. Some of these injuries include;
Compression of the nerve roots
Damage to the intervertebral discs
Wrong movement of the spinal joints
Torn and/or pulled ligament and/or tissues remains to be the single leading and most common
cause of pain in the lower back.
Treatment
Home treatment for a few weeks does a good job in relieving most cases of acute low back pain.
Heat and over the counter pain relievers are also good for treating acute pain. It is however not
recommended to have bed rest. Recommended drugs are muscle relaxants, narcotics, topical pain
relievers, injections such as cortisone and antidepressants such as amitriptyline [ CITATION Cox121
\l 1033 ].
Prevention