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Back pain: mechanical causes, or inflammation?

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Back pain: mechanical causes, or inflammation?
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The vast majority of people will suffer some type of back pain at some stage in their lives. Young people are not spared either, with 84% of 25-34 year olds reporting having experienced it in a recent study. But how can you tell the difference between mechanical back pain, chronic back pain and inflammatory back pain?

Chronic back pain: the symptoms

If back pain lasts longer than 3 months, and interferes with simple everyday tasks such as standing up for too long, this is considered chronic pain. This type of pain affects one in five people, accounting for 20% of the population.

Inflammatory back pain: symptoms and recommendations

The first symptoms of inflammatory back pain appear any time from adolescence to 40 years of age.

Inflammatory back pain can occur spontaneously, for example, in the middle of the night. The pain can be strong but is relieved when the body gets moving. However, if symptoms last for more than 3 months, consult your GP. They may prescribe physiotherapy or other therapeutic interventions.

Inflammatory back pain, more rarely, can be linked to conditions such as ankylosing spondylitis.

Mechanical back pain: symptoms and recommendations

Mechanical back pain is the most frequent kind of back pain and can happen at any age. The problem is that it is often taken lightly by young people, and can end up affecting their personal or professional lives.

Mechanical back pain is generally caused by lifting heavy loads, certain intense physical activities or sport injuries. These factors can damage the vertebrae, ligaments and muscles of the spine.

Lumbago, herniated discs or slipped discs are the main types of mechanical back pain.

Given that mechanical pain is active during movement, it is recommended that you avoid brusque movements and physical effort, as the pain heals when the body is at rest. 

However, mechanical back pain can also be due to poor posture, stress, excess weight or a lack of physical activity. If the back is not strong enough, back pain can recur regularly. 

Maintain regular physical activity to stay in good general health and to avoid back pain (walking, cycling, swimming, yoga, stretching, etc.).

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