Treating Back Joint Pain

Most adults will experience back joint pain at some point in their lives, whether it is caused by an accident, sickness or is hereditary. The origination of back joint pain can be found in the spine, particularly joints, bones, nerves and muscles throughout the back. Back joint pain can be constant or intermittent, it can come about suddenly or be chronic, and it can radiate throughout different areas of the back or stay in one spot. Acute lower back pain is the most common back joint pain complaint in the U.S.

Muscle strains and imbalances are common causes of back joint pain. These strains essentially pull the joint slightly out of place, causing the pain. Meniscoid occlusion occurs when the membranes that cushion your back joints become trapped or pinched and can cause sudden and severe pain. These membranes then become inflamed and cause even more pain if not treated. If you experience back pain for a long time then the cause of your back joint pain may be from a spinal disc herniation, isthmic spndylolisthesis, or degenerative disc disease. Stress, depression and repressed anger, spinal stenosis, cancer, trauma, infection, inflammatory disease, repressed anger, fractures and osteoarthritis can also cause back joint pain.

There are a few different treatments available for back joint pain. Acetaminophen, non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, narcotics, and other muscle relaxants are popular medications to treat back pain. Heat therapy is popular. Performing exercises correctly, including extensive stretching is very effective for chronic back joint pain. Massage therapy and acupressure are also popular treatments. Body awareness therapy including the Feldenkrais method and the Alexander technique have been found to have great benefits from suffers of long term chronic back pain.

Surgery may also be an effective treatment and in many cases the only treatment for degenerative disc disease, lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spndylolisthesis, scoliosis or compression fractures. The drawback to surgery is possible extended down/recovery time. If back joint pain is localized to very specific spots then epidural steroid injections have been found to be beneficial to some back joint pain sufferers.