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Lower back pain

Causes of Back Pain in Young Adults

Back pain… it’s something that most people probably equate to growing older. Most of us have had a parent, grandparent, or even great grandparent who suffered from back pain and, naturally, we likely figured they were experiencing that pain because they were elderly. However, as unfortunate as it may sound, back pain isn’t just confined to seniors. The fact is that young people can experience back pain as well, and although it may not be as prevalent in youth as it is in the elderly, it can be just as bad, or even worse, when it occurs in young people. After all, when we’re young, we expect to be able to be at the top of our game. We look forward to living a long, active, and vibrant life, and we don’t expect something like back pain to get in our way. Following is more information from top spine specialists in New Jersey regarding the various causes of back pain in young adults, as well as prevention and treatment options.

Common Causes of Back Pain in Seniors

Chronic back pain is a common problem reported by about 50 percent of adults living in community care facilities, according to one study. Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a disabling and challenging pain condition affecting older adults, who sometimes have to seek out professionals or the top spine specialist to find answers for their problems.

There are three primary reasons back pain tends to get worse with aging:

  1. Decreased muscle strength and mass associated with aging (sarcopenia).This could be due to a decrease in number of muscle fibers, the size of the individual fibers or both.
  1. Fast twitch fiber atrophy is also associated with aging. This results in slower muscle contraction but this can be reversed with training.
    1. Decreased muscle attenuation is associated with aging muscle.