What causes back pain?

Back pain can originate from muscles, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in your spine.  This type of  pain can be chronic or can occur suddenly, can be constant or intermittent, dull or sharp, and may or may not radiate into your arms and hands, or down your legs.  There may exist alongside your back pain other sensations such as weakness, burning, numbness, or tingling.  The area of your back most at risk to injury is your low back, because it has the greatest curve and supports much of your body's weight.  The most common cause of back pain is improper lifting or a sudden, awkward movement. 

Risk factors for this pain include:

Arthritis

Constipation

Herniated disc (see sciatica)

Muscle imbalance

Obesity

Pregnancy

Osteoporosis

Tumor or infection of the spine

What causes neck pain?

Many people experience neck pain (also called cervical pain), some on a more frequent basis than others.  And it's no surprise; this type of pain can come from a variety of factors affecting the tissues in your neck, commonly including stress, poor posture, neck strain, degenerative disk disease, or neck sprain from whiplash, a herniated disk, or a pinched nerve.  Or your pain can come from a disorder that affects your muscles, such as fibromyalgia, or even from an infection.

Some potential infections leading to pain in your neck include:

Viral infection leading to lymph gland swelling and neck pain

Tuberculosis

Osteomyelitis

Meningitis

Symptoms of neck pain also vary a great deal, and may include:

Dull ache

Sharp pain

Numbness

Tingling

Tenderness

Difficulty swallowing

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Headache

Shoulder pain

Arm numbness or tingling  

What causes headaches?

Headaches can be caused by a variety of factors. Stress, lack of sleep or poor diet are usually the main factors, often indicating what are called tension headaches. These are caused by the muscles in your face, scalp, neck, and/or shoulders contracting and causing pain. Migraines, which tend to be quite severe, are thought to be caused by changes in your nervous system and by imbalances in neurotransmitters (which help send messages inside the brain). Migraines can be triggered by hormonal changes, food sensitivities, and even odors. It is not uncommon for some people to experience tension-migraines as well. Sinus headaches are less common, are caused by bacterial infection, and usually appear after an upper respiratory infection. Cluster headaches, least common of all, tend to appear in 'clusters' over the course of a few days, weeks or months, with long periods of relief that can last for years. Cluster types are sometimes the result of alcohol use, usually last for a short period of time, and often start while you are asleep.

In rare cases, headaches can indicate a more serious condition, so they should not be looked at lightly if you experience the following symptoms:

Worsening over the course of a week

You also experience a neurological disturbance such as loss of Balance, weakness, or loss of speech or double vision

You are also vomiting or are extremely nauseous

Seizures or loss of consciousness

Fever and stiff neck

Sudden onset of the pain that is severe and is not localized to one spot

If you've ever been in a car accident, you know how shocking they can be both to your physical as well as mental well-being. And once you've been seen by the appropriate medical team for assessment, you often need follow up with a clinic that specializes in rehabilitation for car accident injury. But what are the most common car accident injuries that occur? Well, some injuries don't even appear right away, which is why it's essential you report the accident both to the police and your insurance company. You may even want to speak to a personal injury lawyer, although this can wait until your recovery process has begun.

The type and extent of injuries you may experience depend on a few factors, including whether or not you were wearing a seat belt, the side of your car that took the impact of the collision, the speed of yours and the other car(s) involved, and even whether or not your car has air bags.

Commonly in a car accident, you may incur injuries such as those related to your head and spine, most especially your neck in what is commonly known as "whiplash." Whiplash is a soft tissue injury that is fairly easily treated with methods such as physiotherapy or massage therapy. You may also find relief for whiplash and other soft tissue injuries by trying chiropractic care, acupuncture, or osteopathy. Other types of soft tissue injury include most injuries related to your muscles.

Other types of car accident injury that are not soft tissue include scrapes and cuts, and broken bones. But emotional distress is fairly common after a car accident as well, and seeing a psychotherapist may be of some help to you in your recovery period. Finally, an occupational therapist trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) can potentially help with sleep issues that may arise from the accident.

What causes joint pain?

Arthralgia, commonly known as joint pain, can be caused by many types of injuries or conditions.  The possible causes include:

osteoarthritis

Autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus

Bursitis

Gout

Infection caused by a virus, e.g. Epstein-Barr, hepatitis, the flu, the measles, or the mumps

Injury, such as a contusion or a fracture

Osteomyelitis

Overuse, causing a sprain or strain in the joint

Your doctor will suggest a treatment based on the underlying cause of your joint pain.  Pain medication or anti-inflammatory medication may be prescribed, and in more severe cases surgery, immunosuppressants, or antibiotics may be called for.

What is carpal tunnel syndrome?

Carpal tunnel syndrome refers to a condition marked by pain, inflammation, and numbness in a small opening of your wrist called the carpal tunnel. It is a condition common to such professionals as teachers, concert pianists, and computer programmers, and is brought about through repetitive movements that cause a buildup of fluids along with inflammation in the carpal tunnel.

Anatomically speaking, the carpal tunnel is the pathway from the palmar side of the forearm to the hand, and compression caused by fluids and swelling can affect the nerves (specifically the median nerve) and blood flow to your hand. Symptoms of this compression can also include tingling, weakness of the wrist, and a dull, aching pain in your thumb and first two fingers.

Factors that can contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome include:

Repetitive use of your wrist

Without rest osteoarthritis

Pregnancy

Wrist structure

Injury

Your doctor will likely prescribe anti-inflammatories, although corticosteroids (which require injection) may be called for in more extreme cases. More severe cases may even require a minor surgery on the ligaments to help alleviate pressure on the median nerve. Differentiation from thoracic outlet syndrome should also be considered.

What is an athletic injury?

Any injury related to a sport or exercise can be considered an athletic injury.  While the sport or exercise is usually fun, the injury that results from an accident or overuse usually is not.  The types of accidents that can result from athletic activity include: contusions, sprains, strains, muscle soreness, joint injury, tendon injury, fractures, and dislocations.  Overuse injuries can include virtually any type of repetitive strain injury (RSI) such as carpal tunnel syndrome, medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) and lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow).  The classifications vary, but the result is often the same: pain and inflammation.

Prevention of an athletic injury should involve:

Proper warm-up

Rest between activities

Proper muscle stretching and strengthening

Ceasing activity when there is pain present

Many still recommend immediate treatment of most athletic injuries with the RICE method (a generally agreed upon set of protocols): Rest (to prevent further injury) Ice (within the first 12 hours of injury, and applied in 20 minute intervals) Compress (with an ACE bandage, to limit and reduce swelling) and Elevate (to control swelling). The physician that determined this course of treatment, however, refuted his own theory in 2014, so this approach is (albeit slowly) being reconsidered. See this blog post.

Most of the time you should seek medical attention to determine the severity of your injury as an undiagnosed fracture could have serious consequences. Once a proper diagnosis has been achieved, your doctor may recommend a variety of treatment options (see below for examples).

What type of arthritis are you interested in treating?

Osteoarthritis

Rheumatoid Arthritis

And you might be interested in:

Osteoarthritis - Chiropractic and Cold Laser Therapy

Physiotherapy for Osteoarthritis - A Case Study

Treating Arthritis with Acupuncture