Left back pain, causes and ways to overcome it

Back pain, especially on the left, is a fairly common pain complaint. Everyone has probably experienced it at least once in their life. Well, the causes of pain in the left back can be different from one person to another. Come on, find out the characteristics, causes, and ways of dealing with left back pain below.

Causes of left back pain

Quoted from Healthline, in general, left back pain occurs when there is damage to muscle tissue or a ligament injury that supports the spine. In some cases, the pain can also come from other organs that are in the body but spread to the left side of the back.

1. Muscle injury

This condition is an injury that occurs due to over-stretching or a tear in the muscle or tendon in the left back.

The left back can feel sore over time if you repeatedly lift heavy objects on your left side or make incorrect movements with your left shoulder or arm.

Other triggers can also be a traffic accident that hits your back, an injury from sports such as badminton, tennis, or baseball or when you slip down and bear weight on the left side of your body.

2. Herniated disc

The spine in your body has a separator called a disk or disk.

The disc contains a fluid that functions to absorb shocks. The fluid-filled bearings may break or slide and stick out. A disk that shifts or ruptures can put pressure on the surrounding nerves. This is what is known as herniated disc .

If the problematic disc is in the left area of ​​the spine, you may experience back pain that extends to the legs.

3. Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a type of disorder that causes the spine to curve sideways like an S or C stroke.

Normally, the spine is straight down and slightly curved. If the curvature of the spine is very sharp, as in the case of scoliosis, excess pressure on the nerves and supporting muscles can trigger back pain. If the spine curves to the left, this could be the cause of your chronic back pain.

Scoliosis is common in middle age.

3. Spinal stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a disorder caused by narrowing of the space in the spine. The narrowing then presses on the marrow and nerves around the spine.

Narrowing of the spine usually occurs in men and women over 50 years. In addition, people born with narrowing of the spinal cavity, suffering from spinal cord injuries, and who have scoliosis or osteoarthritis may also experience narrowing of the spine.

4. Kyphosis

Kyphosis also includes disorders of the spine that can cause back pain on the left.

Kyphosis itself is a spinal deformity that makes the posture bend more than 50 degrees. This condition can occur due to spinal infections, tumors, bad posture, and others.

5. Broken bones

Fractures or cracks in the spine can cause left back pain. This condition can occur when you have osteoporosis or your bones become weak and porous.

Vertebral fractures can also occur after severe accidents such as falls from heights, sports injuries, and collisions.

6. Soft tissue damage

When the arm or shoulder on the left is used excessively, it can result in two things such as tense back muscles and ligament sprains. This is what causes inflammation and makes left back pain.

7. Internal organ problems

Left back pain can also be caused by other internal organs such as:

• Kidney infection
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis
• Ulcerative colitis

Symptoms of left back pain

The main symptom arising from back pain is pain that is felt on the left side only, can be in the lower left or the upper left.

Some of the common symptoms that are felt when the left back hurts are:

• The left side of the back feels sore and stiff.
• Pain tends to be mild but prolonged
• Pain usually gets better at night or at rest.

Some people experience pain that comes on suddenly and lasts a long time (constant pain) and others experience pain that comes and goes.

Back pain can arise due to nerve pressure. You may recognize this condition through the following symptoms:

• Pain spreads to the waist and hips
• Numbness and tingling of the feet
• Difficulty moving
• Pain gets worse when walking or playing sports.

If the pain or tenderness starts in the left stomach and spreads to the back, you may experience:

• Muscle tension
• Herniated disc
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis

Left back pain under the shoulder blades and shoulder blades, you may experience:

• Bad posture
• Muscle tension
• Vertebral fracture
• Severe kyphosis
• Heart attack

How to deal with left back pain

You can combine home and medical remedies to treat left back pain. However, consider again the cause of pain or pain that happened to you. Here's how to deal with back pain that can be done:

Rest

When you do too much movement or activity that causes left back pain, take a break for 1-2 days.

Painkillers

You can try taking over-the-counter NSADI painkillers such as naproxen, paracetamol, or ibuprofen.

If the pain or pain is not too severe, try applying gel or applying a warm patch to the affected area of ​​the back.

Meanwhile, if the pain is severe and prolonged, the doctor can prescribe a pain reliever with a stronger effect, such as:

• Cortisol injection
• Muscle relaxants (baclofen, cyclobenzaprine, and eperisone)
• Antidepressant drugs
• Opioid-type drugs (morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, and codeine).

Compress

Try compressing the pain in your back with a cold or warm washcloth. This treatment can relieve pain as well as relax muscle tension.

Doing light physical activity

Try stretching your body parts and walking to help relieve any pain you feel.

If after 72 hours the left back pain has not gone away, you should go to the doctor. Usually, doctors will recommend medical treatment, such as:

Do physical therapy

When the aches or pains become unbearable, you need physical therapy such as stretching exercises, chiropractic , invasive therapy, or therapy that requires devices such as electrical stimulants.

Operation

Recovery of left back pain with surgery is very rare. However, this solution is usually done when the pain is caused by a structural problem of the bones such as spinal stenosis.

How to prevent left back pain

Although it is common, you can prevent left back pain from recurring by:

• Practicing postures when you sit, stand, and do certain movements.
• Routine exercise such as cardio, yoga, swimming, and sports that can strengthen your back muscles, thereby reducing the risk of injury.
• Start reducing and quitting smoking so that back pain will recover quickly.
• Maintain weight. You need to do this so that you don't put too much pressure on the back.