Low Back Pain
Because the lower back bears most of the body’s weight and can be easily injured, most people will experience pain in their lower back at least once in their lifetime. While pain in the lower back may come from the spine or back muscles, it can also radiate from injuries in the mid/upper back and even from the groin area. Carrying out multiple actions incorrectly like sitting, standing, and lifting, may lead to a low back injury when doing something simple like bending over to pick up a pen off the floor. In other words, the injury is most likely not the result of a single event.
Symptoms may include:
- Tingling or burning sensation
- Dull aching or sharp pain
- Weakness in legs or feet
- Tension or knots in muscles
- Pain may come on slowly or all of a sudden
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common joint disorder, is a result of the wearing away of cartilage between bone joints. As the condition progresses, the cartilage dissolves causing bones to grind together and resulting in pain and stiffness. OA most commonly affects the hands, feet, spine, and the weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. The two types of OA are primary and secondary. While OA is most commonly caused by metabolic conditions (i.e., acromegaly), problems in anatomy (i.e., being “bow-legged”), injury, and/or inflammatory disorders (i.e., septic arthritis), it also can occur without previous injury or medical condition.
Symptoms may include:
- Grating of the joint when in motion
- Joint pain in wet weather
- Swollen joints
- Limited movement of joints
- Morning stiffness
