Back pain: Learn to differentiate the types of back pain

The back pain is one of the most common disorders, but not all pain is the same. As important as not underestimate the back pain as the discomfort can become chronic, it is to determine the type of pain, as this may be caused by inflammation or due to a muscle spasm, for example.

Depending on the type of pain, the doctor will prescribe different treatments. The symptoms, the location of pain, intensity, if it extended or not out of the back or prevalence are key factors. Let’s see, then, how to differentiate the types of back pain.

Inflammatory pain

When the pain is motivated by inflammation usually accompanied by stiffness, which is more severe in the morning. Inflammatory pain tends to be continuous and usually does not improve with rest, and may also interfere with the rest. Usually, it caused by articular inflammatory processes (synovitis, arthritis) or infections or malignancies.

Mechanical pain

Nine out of ten cases of back pain, according to medical data are type of muscular or mechanical.

Unlike inflammatory pain, muscular one worsens with movement and improves with rest. When we wake up we feel better, but as the day progresses the pain reappears, even more annoying. it is usually caused by bone or ligamentous degenerative processes, as well as contractures or overload. Within the mechanical pain it includes arthritis, back pain, fractures, contusions and tendinitis.

Radicular pain

It is a continuous pain also worsens when performing certain movements, such as walking or sitting. It may be accompanied by paresthesia (tingling, itching, hot or cold…). Radicular pain is usually caused by inflammation or compression of the spinal nerve. This type of pain, when irradiated along the leg (from the back of the thigh to the foot), is what is known as sciatica.