Lumbar pain is a common term to define any and all pain in the lumbar area. Lumbar pain can be sharp with sudden onset, or it can be dull and mild. Pain can arise from bone, cartilage, muscles, joint capsule, ligaments, discs or blood vessels, and the definitive cause may not be shown always. Independently from the origin of the pain, if the relevant tissue changes place or become larger and compress the nerves, leg pain, numbness in or heating of the leg or urinary incontinence can become the issue.

Causes of lumbar pain:

  • Lumbar straining: Lumbar straining is the injury to the low back as a result of the tension in ligaments, tendons or muscles in the low-back area. Straining in the soft tissues in the area will result in microscopic tears in related tissues in varying levels. Straining is known as the commonest cause of lumbar pain.
  • Nerve irritation (pinched nerve): Nerves originating from the spinal cord in the lumbar area can be “pinched” anywhere from their roots to the skin surface because of mechanical compression. Reasons of this include the disc disease, problems in bones or nerve inflammation because of zona infection.
  • Lumbar radiculopathy: Lumbar radiculopathy is the nerve irritation because of the damaging of discs between the lumbar vertebras. Damaging of the disc arises from wear and tear in the outermost ring of the disc, from traumatic injury or both.
  • Compression by bones: Any condition resulting in displacement or enlargement of lumbar vertebras can limit the space of the adjacent spinal cord or nerves.
  • Conditions of bones and joints: Conditions of bones and joints resulting in lumbar pain can originate from congenital deficits, wear and tear, injuries or articular inflammation. The commonest congenital causes of lumbar pain are scoliosis and spina bifida. Scoliosis is the sideways curvature of the spina, while spina bifida is a congenital deficit characterized with incomplete closure of vertebras. It most commonly affects the lumbar vertebras and the apex of the bone called sacrum.
  • Damages of bones and joints: Fractures in lumbar vertebras and sacrum are most commonly seen in the elderly with osteoporosis, and particularly in those using cortisone. Very slight stresses like stooping down for fastening shoelaces can cause fractures in these individuals.