Having back pain of any sort is going to have an effect on your life and what you are able to do, but when the problem is chronic low back pain it is going to be worse. The good news is that there is a good chance of recovery as up to 90% of those who suffer from it manage to get back to normal within a month. While this does not mean that it will not happen again or that there will not still be some pain, for the 30% who do suffer further pain it will not always be classed as chronic low back pain.

When there is chronic low back pain there is going to be a limit to the sort of activities that can be carried out. As many of the sufferers tend to be under the age of 45 it is going to be the case that there will be limits to what can be carried out work wise and also there will be limitations put on the activities that can be carried out with children.

There is normally a reason why chronic low back pain occurs and this is usually because there is a problem with the back, such as osteoporosis or arthritis. It can also be a left over symptom of an injury that has been severe. To be classed as chronic, there will have to be pain for at least 12 weeks and by that time it is clear that there is going to need to be something drastic done to bring relief. The further bad news is that the pain can be caused by a degenerative disorder and a result the remedies used will alleviate the pain but will not be able to cure the issue.

In extreme cases the reasons for chronic low back pain will be conditions such as spondyloarthropathy or bone disorders. It can also be a result of trauma and if there is a problem with one of the discs. Hernias can lead to chronic low back pain and if you suffer from sciatica the pain can also become chronic.

It is important to understand the sort of feelings that that will come with chronic low back pain so as it can be identified and treated correctly. Normally the pain will start in a particularly area and then move around and spread to other parts of the body, often the legs and buttocks. It will normally be an ache or dull pain that is felt and as a result it will be difficult to move around a great deal.

The bad news is that general medication will not be effective on chronic low back pain as nerve damage cannot always be repaired. If you suffer from this you need to be prepared for prolonged periods of treatment and ways to reduce pain rather than stop it altogether. There will always be ways to reduce the pain but it will be the case that you are going to feel discomfort for weeks or months rather than the days with non chronic low back pain.