Ask a Physician: Is back pain an unavoidable part of aging?

Leonel A. Hunt, MD
 Director, Spine Trauma,
Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders
Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedic Center

Back pain can be caused by everyday stress and strain, long-term wear and tear, and a wide range of diseases and disorders. If you experience severe back pain or you have ongoing pain that continues to get worse, see your doctor and request a referral to a well-qualified orthopaedic and spinal center where you can benefit from the perspectives of a multidisciplinary team.

Although back pain affects both genders and all ages, women are more likely than men to suffer from sacroiliac joint dysfunction, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative spondylolisthesis and several other back pain-related conditions.

Back pain during pregnancy often results from dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint, which connects the bone at the base of the spine with the pelvis. The sacroiliac ligaments become more elastic as the body prepares for childbirth, but the joint becomes less stable. The resulting pain often improves or goes away on its own but may require treatment.

Osteoporosis weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures, including fractures of the spine. About 1.5 million people suffer a broken bone caused by osteoporosis each year.

Osteoarthritis of the spine, a common source of back pain, causes inflammation in the vertebral joints, joint degeneration and increasing friction and pain. Osteoarthritis affects more men than women in younger years but more women than men in later years as a result of changes during menopause.

Degenerative spondylolisthesis is a disease of aging. It affects six times more women than men, and African American women are particularly vulnerable. One of the vertebrae in the lower spine slips forward across another, narrowing the spinal canal and allowing bone and tissue to press against a nerve.

When confronted with a serious back problem, carefully consider your options, seek several perspectives, and remember that it never hurts to get a second or third opinion.

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