What Are the Causes of Pain in Lower Right Back?

Back pain is a complaint doctors hear about frequently. People want information on backaches. They want doctors to treat pain in the back. Many want to know the causes of pain in the lower right back.

Information about the Lower Right Back

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It is important to understand the structure of the lower right back if we are to understand what causes pain there.

Your back, with its spinal column of vertebrae, connecting ligaments, tendons, large muscles, and nerves, is designed to be incredibly strong and flexible. Yet things can go wrong with this awesome structure.

* Muscles can be strained

* Ligaments can be torn

* Joints can be injured

* Bones can be fractured

* Nerves can be irritated

* Discs can be herniated

* Stress can tighten back structure

The lower back seems especially susceptible to injury, since it bears the weight of the torso, and makes more movement than the upper back. Its constant work can cause parts to break down and wear out over the years.

The lower right back has soft tissues that can be involved in pain. Those large, complex muscle groups that support your spine and help you move can be strained by improper lifting or posture. In fact, muscle strain is the most common cause of lower back pain. Twisting or pulling one of the following muscles can produce pain in the lower right back.

* Extensor muscles: These paired muscles in the lower back and gluteus help support your spine. If the one on the lower right back is injured, it will be painful.

* Flexor muscles: Attached to the spine's front, these muscles help you flex, bend forward, and lift things. Again, injury to the right flexor muscle can cause lower right back pain.

* Oblique muscles: This muscle group is attached to the sides of the spine. The oblique muscles help your spine rotate, and give you good posture.

In addition to simple muscle strain, injury to ligaments, joints, and bones can also cause muscle pain. If one of these structures is injured or inflamed, back muscles can go into spasm, drastically limiting your movement and cause pain in the lower right back.

Stress is a common cause of pain in the lower right back. Stress will make your back muscles tighten. This happens to every muscle in the body, as we move into a "fight or flight" response. Muscles that are tightened lack the energy they need to support the spine. If the stress is frequent, and measures are not taken immediately to relieve it, lower right back pain can easily develop.

Information on Chronic Lower Right Back Pain

If lower right back pain lasts more than two weeks, you are likely to stop using the aching muscles in order to protect yourself from that pain. With disuse, the muscles can waste (atrophy) and weaken. This will increase the pain, since your muscles are less able to support your spine. If you increase your protection, and continue to avoid using the muscles, the cycle will continue, with the pain worsening at each turn. Chronic lower right back pain will result. This is why doctors urge patients with lower right back pain to exercise daily.

Information about Lower Right Back Pain Symptoms

You need to understand the symptoms of your pain as well. It is difficult to treat pain without knowing clearly what and where the symptoms are. You will want to gain a sense of exactly where your lower right back hurts. Is the pain focused in one small area, or does it spread throughout the lower right back? Is it confined to the lower right back or does it radiate into other parts of the body? Here are two major kinds of pain in the lower right back.

Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #1

Is yours a deep, aching, dull, or burning pain? Does it travel down your leg? If so, your lower right back pain may be chronic back pain.

Lower Right Back Pain Symptom #2

Perhaps yours is a very sharp pain, deep in the lower right back. This symptom may be the result of a back injury.

Information on Relieving Lower Right Back Pain

My personal physician assures me that the best relief for lower right back pain is usually exercise. Gentle exercises, performed daily with warm-up and cool-down, will strengthen the core muscles around the lower back area, relieving the pain and making them less susceptible to future injury.

CAUTION: Pain in the lower right back may also be caused by kidney stones or other non-muscular problems. Be sure to ask your health care provider for advice on any back pain.

What Are the Causes of Pain in Lower Right Back?

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Cervical Cancer Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Cervical cancer is a slow-growing cancer that develops in the lining of the cervix, which is the lower, narrow part of the uterus that connects the uterus to the vagina. An estimated 12,200 women in the United States were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2010 and 4,210 died from it during that year. Fifty-eight percent of those 12,100 women were between the ages of 45 and 74. The 5 year survival rate from 1999 to 2006 was 70 percent. New early screening tests and a new vaccine are contributing to improved outcomes for this form of cancer.

There are two main types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common form, occurring in about 80 to 90 percent of all cases. It develops in the thin, flat cells, called squamous cells, that cover the surface of the endocervix, the portion of the cervix closest to the uterus. Adenocarcinoma is more common in younger women and forms in the gland cells within the endocervix.

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Although scientists are not 100 percent sure on how cervical cancer develops, they have been able to identify a number of risk factors which can lead to the disease. The chief risk factor is associated with sexually transmitted viruses such as some types of the human papillomavirus, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The bacterial based Chlamydia, also transmitted during sexual activity, is another risk factor for cancer of the cervix. Other factors which can lead to an increased risk of include: smoking, a diet low in fruits and vegetables, obesity, long-term use of oral contraceptives, and multiple pregnancies. A family history of cervical cancer is another high risk consideration.

Unfortunately, the symptoms of cervical cancer are asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) in the early stages. It is not until it has reached the later sub-stages and stages that it becomes noticeable. The most common symptoms include:

Abnormal vaginal bleeding Abnormal vaginal discharge with light blood spots or light bleeding between periods. A higher amount of blood loss than normal during menstruation. Bleeding following intercourse, pelvic exam, or douching. Pain during intercourse. General pelvic pain.

A diagnosis of cervical cancer can be made with the aid of several instruments and imaging devices. The two most common instruments include a cystoscope, (a thin, tube-shaped instrument with a light and optical device at one end which is inserted into the vagina) and a proctoscope (similar to a cystocope but is inserted into the anal cavity to examine invasive forms of cervical cancer). The most common imaging tests include an x-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and intravenous urography. Doctors may also perform a PAP smear, and a biopsy is taken in many cases.

While traditional cancer treatment methods of chemotherapy and radiation are often utilized in cervical cancer, there are eight different types of surgical procedures used which include:

Cryosurgery: A type of surgery which uses liquid nitrogen to freeze and kill cancer cells. Laser Surgery: A type of surgery which uses a laser beam as a sort of knife to cut away tumors without causing bleeding. Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP): Type of surgery which uses a thin wire loop positioned around the tumor and delivers a low intense electric current. Conization: Type of surgery where a cone shape mass of tissue is removed from the cervix with the help of a laser or LEEP. Simple hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus without adjacent tissues. Total hysterectomy: Type of surgery where the uterus is removed together with adjacent structures or organs (parametria and uterosacral ligaments, the upper part of the vagina located next to the cervix, the lymph node, and sometimes the fallopian tubes and ovaries). Trachelectomy: A new type of surgery where the cervix is removed while attempting to preserve as much healthy tissue as possible. The lymph nodes are also removed. A "purse-string" stitch is also created which will act as the opening to the cervix. Early trials show that women that have this type of surgery have fewer relapses of cervical cancer. Pelvic exenteration: Similar to a total hysterectomy but more organs are removed which include: uterus, parametria and uterosacral ligaments, upper part of the vagina closest to the cervix, lymph node, fallopian tubes, ovaries, rectum, and part of the colon and urine bladder.

Cervical cancer can be prevented with changes to those risk factors associated with the disease. These changes include:

Delaying sexual intercourse until marriage Limiting the number of sexual partners. Avoiding sexual contact with promiscuous partners. Quitting smoking. Eating more fruits and vegetables, and foods high in vitamins and minerals. Exercising. Losing weight if obese.

Women can also receive Gardasil, a new vaccine aimed at HPV viruses 6,11, 16, and 18, which can all lead to cervical cancer. This vaccine prevents infection of HPV and can not be used to treat an existing infection. Gardasil requires a series of three injections over a six month period. Gardasil only works on these four types of HPV and does not prevent other HPV types from causing to cervical cancer, although these occurrences are extremely rare.

Cervical Cancer Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

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