Muscle Strain could cause Acute Lower Back Pain. It follows after lifting a heavy object, heavy exercise, twisting or a sudden movement which cause injury to the muscles or ligaments. It usually resolves with rest and pain killer (anti-inflammatory).
Other possible cause of lower back pain includes:
- Herniated disc / slipped disc / prolapsed disc
- Degenerative disc disease
- Facet joint osteoarthritis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spinal stenosis
- Ankylosing spondylitis
- Spine infection
- Spine tumour
Most of the causes of lower back pain does not need urgent treatment but one should seek immediate medical attention if the back pain occurs and follows after a fall, accident or trauma. An unstable spine fracture may cause paralysis. For elderlies, a trivial fall may also lead to spine fracture due to underlying osteoporosis.
Urgent medical attention is also needed when one is having red flag symptom (warning sign!), such as unexplained loss of weight and appetite, fever, chills or night sweat, bowel and/or urine incontinence and weakness and/or numbness of the lower limbs.
Plain radiograph / X-ray and other imaging are not necessary for lower back pain unless there is a red flag symptom, following a trauma or failed medical treatment.
Treatment of lower back pain is dictated by the underlying cause. For muscle strain, the initial treatment is rest, analgesics and anti-inflammatory (pain killer) followed by physical therapy of back care and back strengthening exercises.
