I bent over to pick something up and all of a sudden I had intense pain in my back, hips and legs. Sound familiar? Back pain that develops as a result of bending over is one of the most common reasons why someone visits our office, and we’ve become experts at not only diagnosing the underlying cause, but setting each patient up with the individualized plan they need in order to overcome their back injury.
So what might have happened inside your back when you bent over to grab that item off the ground? We take a closer look at some of the most common causes of back pain while bending in today’s blog.
Causes Of Back Pain While Bending Over
If you’re dealing with new and intense pain after bending down, here’s a look at some of the issues that may have developed:
- Herniated Disc – Your vertebrae are separated by spinal discs that help provide support and mobility to the spinal column. If these discs are overloaded with stress, they can herniate and shift out of their normal position within the spinal column. When these discs shift out of their normal alignment, they can end up compressing nearby spinal nerves, leading to shooting or intense pain in your back and hips or down your arms and legs. You’ve bent over plenty of times before and never had an issue with one of your spinal discs, so why did the problem develop now? Over the years, our spinal discs are exposed to a lot of stress, and this gradually leads to some natural degeneration. Our discs slowly lose some of their natural height, making them more prone to bulging and herniating as we get older. Eventually, if you put too much stress on your spine (and bending over at the waist is a very stressful act for your spine), you can overload a disc and cause it to herniate. Thankfully, most herniated discs can be treated effectively without the need for surgery.
- Sciatica – Another common cause of intense back pain when bending over is sciatica. Sciatica is a condition categorized by compression or irritation of your sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in your body that branches from your lower back down each leg. If this nerve is compressed at any point, it can lead to severe symptoms in your lower back, buttocks or legs. A herniated disc is the most common cause of sciatica, but poor posture and other factors can contribute to sciatic nerve irritation. Treatment will depend on the root cause of nerve impingement, but like a herniated disc, sciatica typically responds well to conservative care so long as you don’t put off treatment for an extended period. Herniated discs and sciatica are the two most common causes of back pain when bending in patients under the age of 40.
- Arthritis – A final potential cause of back pain while bending that we’ll spotlight today is arthritis. Spinal osteoarthritis involves the gradual degeneration of cartilage and bone in a spinal joint, while rheumatoid arthritis develops when the body mistakenly ends up attacking tissues in your joint. Degeneration and inflammation can make movements uncomfortable, and symptoms can really intensify when bending over to pick up an object. If you’re over the age of 40, your discomfort may be the result of a form of arthritis. And while you can’t reverse the effects of arthritis, there are a number of ways you can work to reduce symptoms and slow or even stop the progression of continued degeneration. Sync up with a spine specialist for individualized advice.
If you’re dealing with back pain when bending over, know that the discomfort is likely to linger or return unless you take proactive steps to treat it. Don’t just lay in bed for a few days and hope everything returns to normal. Instead, connect with a spine specialist and get set up with a diagnosis and individualized treatment plan. Get back to bending over without pain by connecting with Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine and Brain Institute today by calling (651) 430-3800.
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