Should You Be Worried About Sharp Back Pain?

Almost all adults will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Typically, back pain is characterized by an aching or dull sensation, or a stabbing and sharp feeling. Different things can cause sharp back pain, such as muscle strain and arthritis.   Find out what might be causing the problem, so you can get relief from back pain with the help of a reputable chiropractor, therapist, or doctor in Orem and other locations.

• Muscle Strain – This is the top cause of sharp pain in the lower back. It occurs when a tendon or muscle is torn or stretched. Muscle strains are typically a result of injuries from doing specific movements such as overreaching or lifting heavy things, or from sports injuries.
• Sciatica – The largest nerve in your body is the sciatic nerve and it encompasses your legs, buttocks, and lower back. In case something puts pressure on it, you will experience a sharp pain starting from your lower back extending to your buttocks and legs.
• Herniated Disk – Also called a slipped disk, this occurs when a disk located in between the spinal bones gets misaligned or ruptured. This can likewise place pressure on the nerves surrounding the slipped disk.
• Compression Fracture – Also called vertebral compression fracture, this occurs when a vertebra collapses or breaks, such as when you have an underlying condition or injury that makes your bones weak.
• Arthritis – Different types of arthritis such as OA or osteoarthritis could cause sharp back pain. When this occurs, the cartilage in between the vertebrae wears down and causes pain.
• Infections – Sharp back pain can also be caused by spinal infections, such as spinal TB. While spinal tuberculosis is rare, anyone with a weak immune system has an increased risk of developing it. There’s also a very slim chance that you can develop a spinal cord abscess from an injury or surgery complication that involves foreign objects. If you did, a large enough abscess can place pressure on surrounding nerves.

• Kidney Disease – If you have kidney disease, there’s a chance that you might feel pain radiating from the kidneys to your back, particularly if you have an infection of kidney stones.
• Spinal Conditions – Certain conditions of the spine such as lordosis or spinal stenosis can likewise cause sharp pain in the back. People with lordosis have a more significantly curved spine that causes sharp pain. Spinal stenosis leads to the narrowing of the spine’s spaces, as well as sharp back pain.
• Certain Conditions in Men and Women – Prostate cancer and prostatitis in men may also cause sharp back pain. Pregnancy, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, ovarian torsion, pelvic inflammatory disease, and uterine fibroids may cause sharp back pain in women.

The good news is that sharp back pain rarely requires emergency medical attention. However, if you are pregnant or are also experiencing chills or fever, vomiting or nausea, difficulty balancing or walking, bowel or urinary incontinence, a pulsing sensation in your stomach, and severe pain that don’t get better with OTC pain meds, get emergency help as soon as possible. Determining why you’re experiencing pain is important so that you can take the necessary steps to recovery.