Back pain is the most common physical complaint, almost everyone experience once in his lifetime. The reason for back pain being so common is that back of a human being bears most of the body weight and it is a complex structure made up of joints, bones, ligaments, cartilages, muscles and nerves.
Back pain is any discomfort, stiffness, ache or soreness in upper, middle or lower back, though pain in lower back is the most common of all. The severity and duration of back pain depends upon the cause of backache but usually 60% of the total low back pain complaints subside after one week. Back pain has been classified into two, acute and chronic, acute pain is short lived and subsides within one to six weeks while back pain lasting more than three months is categorized as chronic backache.
Inability to stand straight due to stiffness in the back after a period of rest or inactivity or getting up from a comfortable sitting position is a symptom of back pain. Any discomfort or pain in the back which radiates down to hips and legs may be a symptom of herniated disc or sciatica nerve getting irritated. Inability to stand on the toe is a symptom of irritated nerve in the spine. If any swelling, soreness and mild pain in the back get worse with the activity or by sitting in one position for a longer duration, is a symptom of backache. Any numbness or weakness in the legs is caused by compressed nerve in the spine coming down to legs, which is a symptom of chronic backache.
There are several reasons which cause acute or chronic back pain. Straining lower back muscles by wrong postures, sudden or jerky movements, lifting heavy objects or strenuous physical activity are most common and general reasons for back pain. Herniated disc or ruptured disc is one of the most common cause of backache this problem arises due to age or damage and injuries caused to disc, bones and ligaments of the spine. Due to herniated disc or other reasons pressure on sciatica nerve also causes backache which may radiate down to hips and legs often referred as shooting pain. Sometimes any injury or damage to inter-vertebra disc in the spine also cause backache in the absence of herniated disc. Due to age or other reasons like arthritis the spinal canal gets constricted causing backache. Slip disc where adjacent vertebra becomes unstable or compression fractures are other causes for chronic backache.
Herbal oil massage is quick and effective method with out any side effects to relieve back pain. Herbal oil massage can be used by the person of any age and facing back pain due to any reason. These herbal oils penetrate the skin to affect the muscles and relax them, they have powerful anti-inflammatory herbs to reduce swelling and anti-oxidants to work locally to promote blood flow in the affected area. Gentle regular massage of these oils with hot and cold compresses provides quick alleviation from back pain and can go along with any medication and condition.
