Understanding Back Pain

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers.

Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.

The symptoms for back pain are:

• Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the hips.
• Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity.
• Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods.
• Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes.
• Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back.

Nighttime Back Pain

Nighttime back pain is a special type of lower back pain that could indicate a serious problem with your spine. If you've never had pain in your lower back, chances are you will.

In the U.S., between 60% and 80% of the population experiences some form of low back pain during their life. It's the second most common reason people see their doctor. But as debilitating as back pain can be, most instances of it are manageable, and people often see improvement within a matter of weeks.

A key element in that improvement is getting adequate rest. But there are a number of people with nighttime back pain who can't get the rest they need because they're unable to get relief for their pain when they try to sleep.

Dr. Datta is an expert on treating patients that suffer from Back Pain. You don’t need to suffer with it any longer.

Give us a call at (212) 430-0312