5 Strange and Rare Causes for Back Pain

Muscle imbalances and herniated or bulging discs cause most cases of back pain or Sciatica. But what if you don’t suffer from either of these problems? There are some other unusual causes to back pain. Here I’m going to share 5 less common things that could be causing your back pain.

Shingles - Singles is caused by a virus called Herpes Zoster. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox. Shingles affects the nerves that provide sensation to the skin. After you fight off a case of chicken pox, it is believed that the virus lies dormant in the nerve roots. In most people it never acts up again as Shingles, but in times of extreme stress or in people with a compromised immune system it can present itself.

When Shingles strikes it can cause pain along the nerves, especially the lumbar nerves in your lower back. You will also notice blisters forming in that area as well. Although you cannot spread Shingles to others, you can spread chicken pox to people who have never had chicken pox before or who have not been vaccinated. If you believe you are suffering from Shingles, see your doctor.

Bone or Disc Infection - Bacterial infections of the discs or bones in the spine are extremely rare, but they can happen. It is possible to contract Tuberculosis in the spine, which is called Pott’s disease.

Also, it is possible to get an infection called Brucellosis, which affects the Sacroiliac joints (SI joints) in the pelvis. This is usually contracted from drinking goat milk, however, this is extremely rare.

Generally, bacterial infections of bones or discs is very rare and usually quite serious. They are often treated with an extensive antibiotic regimen.

Pelvic Bleeding - Bleeding in the pelvis is often the result of people who take blood thinning painkillers for extended periods of time. This is another reason not to rely on extended use of painkillers to “treat” your back pain. They may make the pain go away, but they don’t treat the underlying problem and they can be dangerous if taken regularly.

When bleeding happens, Sciatica will usually present itself quickly as the blood pools and puts pressure on the Sciatic nerve.

Paget’s Disease - No one knows with certainty what causes Paget’s disease, but it involves unusual bone growth and variations in bone density. It tends to afflict elderly people more than younger people.

Paget’s disease can usually be diagnosed easily with an X-ray, which will expose the unusual bone growths, however, a biopsy will usually be performed to authenticate the X-ray results.

The only treatment for Paget’s disease is pain medication to help manage pain and other prescriptions to slow the growth of the bones and stunt to progression of the disease.

Aneurysm of the Aorta - Similar to how a bulging disc can cause back pain, an aneurysm of the aorta can cause the walls of the aorta to bulge outward. Many times this will not result any symptoms at all, but if it bulges in a particular direction it can apply pressure to spinal nerves and result in back pain.

Usually this is treated by grafting tissue on the weakened portion of the aorta wall to strengthen the blood vessel.

These 5 unusual causes to back pain are not common. The typical culprits are muscular imbalances and bulging discs in the spine. However, sometimes the common answer doesn’t apply. If you believe you are suffering from any of these problems, contact your medical provider and have them examine you.