Symptoms of Back Pain(Day 3)

Welcome to Daily Health Check with Dr. Gabby. We are still talking about Back pain. Roughly we can divide the back into three parts; the upper back, middle back and lower back.

The more common back pain we have is that of the lower back, however it is important to note that the other parts can also be affected.

Signs and Symptoms of Back Pain.

Generally back pain can range from mild to severe pain.

Apart from the pain, there may be:

• Stiffness

• Spasm

• Reduced ability to move the spine

• Loss of normal posture and

• Loss of sensation in the lower limbs.

In a condition like disc prolapse, You may notice severe back pain whilst coughing, sneezing or twisting. This usually comes a few days after straining the back, this pain may be confined to the lower back or move to the buttock and leg. Such a person will find it hard to bend forward or backward.

Sinister Back Pain

There are sometimes back pain could be signifying something sinister like a serious medical condition for example, tuberculosis of the spine or even cancer.

There are some red flags that can raise the suspicion of something sinister, these include:

1. First time back pain in very young people and older aged people,
2. Pain in the chest area,
3. Back pain in someone who has history of HIV, tuberculosis or cancer
4. A person who has lost bladder control or control of his faeces.

If you have any of these signs, address them urgently!

Join me tomorrow as we talk about back pain emergency.