5 Common Signs That Your Back Pain Is Serious

Posted on: 22 December 2021

Most people deal with back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain is so common that many people underestimate it when experiencing it. After all, you can experience back pain from simply sitting down too long, picking something up or sleeping in the wrong position. But sometimes, back pain is a sign of a severe back injury or condition that needs immediate treatment.

If you are suffering from back pain, then the following signs are warnings that you might have a very serious injury.

1. The pain wakes you up at night

When you suffer from acute pain, which is usually the result of a minor injury, lying down should help to relieve your back pain. But if your back pain worsens when you lie down, or you wake up at night because of the pain, you could have a serious problem. Fractures and nerve compressions often cause back pain when lying down.

2. The pain radiates to other areas of your body

If you suffer from pain that radiates into other parts of your body, such as your legs, then this is a sign of chronic pain. One common cause of this type of pain is a herniated disc, which leads to excruciating sciatica, where the pain radiates into the legs and through the sciatic nerve.

3. The pain leads to loss of bladder control

Back pain that causes you to lose control of your bladder and even your bowels is another sign of a serious condition that needs immediate treatment. Nerve damage in the lower spine can cause a loss of bladder control, as can cancer and multiple sclerosis.

4. The pain also affects you while you are peeing

If your back pain is accompanied by pain whilst you are peeing, then you might have a kidney stone that needs to pass through your ureter. You may also experience back pain in spasms and see blood in your urine if you have a kidney stone. You'll need to see a doctor to flush the stone out of your system.

5. The pain comes with numbness

Sometimes, numbness accompanies back pain. This numbness may especially be prevalent in the legs and groin area. Numbness and pain in the legs could indicate that you have damaged the nerves in you spinal cord or even your spine itself. This kind of damage needs urgent treatment because it can lead to permanent damage.

If you experience any of the aforementioned types of back pain, see a doctor immediately. With fast treatment, you can prevent any further damage to your back.

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Managing chronic pain in my back

I was in a car accident nearly a decade ago and I have been in pain ever since. I have tried a lot of different therapies because I don't want to be reliant on pain medication for my whole life. Some of the therapies work really well and some haven't been that effective. This blog is a record of some of the therapies that I have tried as well as some of the therapies my friends and companions from the pain clinic have tried. I hope it's useful for other people who are dealing with chronic pain in their life.

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