Back Sprains and Strains A sprain or strain of the back is the most common type of back injury. These injuries can occur acutely (suddenly) or slowly over time. Strains usually occur from twisting or pulling a muscle or tendon in the back. What does it mean to injure your back? The back is made up of bones, muscles, and other tissues that extend from the neck to the pelvis.
Back injuries can result from playing sports, working around the house or in the garden, car accidents at low or high speed, lifting heavy objects, or falling. The signs and symptoms of common spinal conditions and injuries often depend on the affected spinal nerves. Spinal problems usually cause back pain, which can limit or worsen with movement. Spinal conditions affecting the spinal cord can cause a wide variety of symptoms because the spinal cord transmits nerve signals throughout the body.
There can be many causes of back pain, including accidents, strains, and injuries. Two types of back injuries are spondylolisthesis and cervical radiculopathy. Both have their own set of symptoms, causes and treatments. There are many causes for spondylolisthesis.
A vertebra may be defective from the moment a person is born, or a vertebra may be broken by trauma or stress fracture. In addition, vertebrae can break down due to infection or disease. Spondylolisthesis is treated by strengthening the supporting abdominal and back muscles using physical therapy. Acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ketoprofen (Frotek), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), can help relieve pain.
Epidural steroid injections can also be effective. For patients who continue to have severe pain and disability despite these treatments, there are options such as decompressive laminectomy, a procedure in which the spinal canal is widened (to provide more space for nerves and spinal fusion is performed to stabilize the spinal cord), with or without fusion surgery ( arthrodesis) of the vertebra, or the use of an implanted device to stabilize the vertebrae in the lower back while allowing more normal movement. Serious back injuries include fractures (broken bone), wounds, extensive bruising, and damage to the spinal cord and internal organs. You may be able to prevent some back injuries by maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining a strong core, and using proper body mechanics while lifting objects with your legs.
Back injuries can result from sports injuries, work around the house or garden, or a sudden shake, such as a car accident. You may be able to prevent some back injuries by maintaining a healthy weight, lifting objects with your legs, and using lower back support when you are seated. This is a common mechanical cause of low back pain and occurs when generally rubbery discs lose integrity during the normal aging process. The worst of these injuries is called a fracture-dislocation, in which the bone breaks but, because the ligaments also tear, the bones slide off each other.
A common source of back pain is an injury of some kind, and the lower back seems to be the most affected site. Sprains are injuries that affect ligaments, the flat bands of tissue that connect bones where they meet in a joint. Arthritis, degenerative joint disease, repetitive strenuous activities, improper lifting, and tumors are other common causes of non-trauma-related spinal problems. The three most common spinal injuries are strains or injuries to the muscles and tendons, sprains that are injuries to the ligaments of the back, and hernias that involve injuries to the disc between the vertebrae.
Sports activities such as diving, contact sports, horseback riding, and others are also common sources of injury. In cervical radiculopathy, damage can occur as a result of pressure from a ruptured disc material, degenerative changes in bone, arthritis, or other injuries that put pressure on nerve roots. .
