can be either an
Acute or
Chronic disabling condition. It will affect most people at some stage in their life and accounts for more sick leave taken than any other single condition.
An acute lower back injury may be caused by a traumatic event, like a car accident or a fall. It occurs suddenly and its victims will usually be able to pinpoint exactly when it happened. In acute cases, the structures damaged will more than likely be soft tissue like
Muscle s,
Ligament s and
Tendon s. With a serious accident, vertebral fractures in the lumbar spine may also occur.
Chronic lower back pain usually has a more insidious onset, occurring over a long period of time. Causes include
Osteoarthritis ,
Rheumatoid Arthritis ,
Degeneration Of The Discs between the
Vertebrae , or tumors (including
Cancer ).
Possible causes of low back pain:
