How to Explain Back Pain

You'll be more effective in explaining back pain if you have a basic understanding of spinal anatomy. Look at a diagram of the spines, paying attention to the vertebrae. Find pictures of normal-appearing cervical and lumbar discs and pictures of bulging or herniated discs. Then look at diagrams which depict the thecal sac, a structure that controls the nerve roots near the spine. Try to find pictures of herniated discs pressing on the thecal sac, which causes pain to radiate from the back to the lower extremities.

Instructions

• 1

  Start a discussion of back pain by explaining the different between acute and chronic back pain. Acute pain stems from a recent injury or incident, such as twisting your back the wrong way or bending for a long stretch of time. Acute pain usually subsides with conservative treatment like rest, pain relievers and flexion-extension exercises.

• 2

  Chronic pain is pain that remains and can be persistent or intermittent, slight or severe. It doesn't disappear with conservative remedies. Chronic back pain can stem from trauma or from a gradual degeneration of the vertebrae that make up both the cervical and lumbar spines.

• 3

  Discuss the causes of back pain. Separate the causes into those that stem from everyday activities, those that were induced by trauma and those caused by the aging process.

• 4

  Identify everyday causes of back pain as sitting or standing incorrectly, lack of exercising abdominal muscles which causes them to weaken, lifting heavy objects without proper support, and sitting or bending for long periods of time.

• 5

  Describe how traumatic events like car accidents can cause both acute and chronic back pain. Explain how trauma can cause a disc in either the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spines to bulge or herniate. When that happens, the displaced disc puts too much pressure on the nerves, causing pain that travels from the mid or lower back into the hips, thighs, legs and feet.

• 6

  Define "degeneration," a common reason that people over a certain age start to feel back pain. There is no set age when degeneration first appears. Explain that discs in the cervical and lumbar spines naturally degenerate with age and use. When discs degenerate, they weaken and become more susceptible to injury.

• 7

  Emphasize the importance of exercise in preventing back pain. When the body's stomach, back and leg muscles are strengthened by exercise, they aren't prone to injuries like bulges or fractures.