Duration of pain – what is lower back pain?

  Lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for orthopaedic clinical visits, with white-collar workers and drivers, salesmen who stand for long periods of time and chefs who weigh large spoons all being prone to the symptoms. The annual incidence of lower back pain in adults is 15-45%.    In terms of pain location, lower back pain is distributed in the lumbar or/and sacral regions. The symptom is closely related to occupational factors, with a high incidence of lower back pain in occupations with heavy physical work, frequent bending and twisting, repetitive work, and stationary postures (prolonged sitting or standing positions). The occurrence of lower back pain increases significantly in sitting or standing positions for more than 2 hours. This is due to the greater load on the lumbar region in this position, the intervertebral discs and posterior ligaments are prone to strain; in addition, to maintain this position requires the participation of the lumbar back muscles, and the contraction of the lumbar back muscles for a long time will be fatigued and more prone to lumbar pain.  The mechanism of lower back pain is more complicated. Ancient European doctors did not understand the mechanism and called it “the devil’s kick”. In modern medicine, from a pathophysiological point of view, the intervertebral discs, small joints and sacroiliac joints are considered to be the main potential sources of pain.  There are many ways to treat lower back pain. The main purpose is to strengthen the trunk muscles, enhance spinal stability and promote blood circulation to the muscles and their fascia.