What Is Lumbago?

If you can get barely out of bed due to acute lower back pain or if you experience severe pain shooting through your lower back during a certain movement, chances are that you suffer from lumbago. Lumbago can seriously ruin your plans for the day. However, the complaints are usually of a temporary nature. Moreover, you can do a lot yourself to prevent and remedy lumbago.

What Is Lumbago?

Lumbago is a collective term for lower back pain, which develops for no apparent reason. Thus, for example, a hernia or osteoarthritis on the spinal vertebrae do not play a role in this condition. That is why lumbago is a so called ‘a-specific back complaint.’ Lumbago is caused by a cramp of the back muscles. As a result, the cooperation of the joints in the lower back is disrupted. The pain can also spread to your thighs. Lumbago is a quite common form of lower back pain and is one of the least serious forms, but nevertheless affects the quality of life in a negative way.

What Is the Cause of Lumbago?

Because pain often arises suddenly, it is often thought the problem arises at that very moment. This is not true. Lumbago builds up slowly before any pain is experienced. When you experience a sudden, shooting pain through your lower back, it is often because the limit has been reached. In other words, your body can’t compensate for the overload anymore.

What Are the Symptoms of Lumbago?

The primary symptom is a sudden shooting pain in your lower back. The pain can be so severe that you won’t be able to stand at that very moment. The pain is centered in the lower back, but can radiate to your legs. In certain cases, the pain won’t go away and can lead to more pain attacks. A nagging pain can be experienced during the recovery period after the pain attacks, which can take up to 8 weeks.

What Can I Do About It?

If you have experienced a shooting pain in your lower back, and still feel a nagging pain, you should prevent:

1. bending your back
2. making sudden movements
3. lifting heavy objects
4. activities that put excessive stress on the back

Be extremely careful when exercising, as it may put too much strain on the back. You should also improve your sitting posture; sit upright again the backrest, and do not slip down.
After a few weeks the pain should gradually fade away. If you do not improve your posture, the sudden pain might return as excessive posture readjustments tire your body out.
At Pain Away Clinic, here in Bangkok, we have experienced therapists who can diagnose and treat lumbago. Together we’ll find the cause of the sudden back pain to prevent future fallbacks. In addition, physical therapy can speed up the recovery process, improve your posture, reduce further pain, and improve your quality of life. Feel free to contact us and make an appointment and inquire more information regarding lumbago.