Chronic back pain can make it seem like, no matter what you do, there is always going to be discomfort. However, addressing the underlying cause of your pain can help you find some relief. Consider these three common underlying causes of chronic back pain and what you can do to fix them.  

1. Poor Posture

As prevalent as they are, it should come as no surprise that poor posture and poor body mechanics are among the most common causes of chronic back pain. Bas habits when it comes to standing, sitting or how you move contribute to muscular imbalances between planes of the body which can contribute to back pain in a couple of ways.

First, tight muscles are often uncomfortable. They may lead to stiffness and restricted motion. Applications of heat and over-the-counter pain relievers may help ease discomfort. Over time, tight muscles can cause joints to become misaligned, which may need more intensive therapy to fix. 

2. Trauma

Injuries are another common cause of chronic pain. Some new research suggests that long-term pain that lasts after the physical injury heals is due to faulty neurological signals and overactive pain receptors. Accidents, falls and repetitive motion injuries are a few of the most common causes of back and neck trauma. 

3. Disc Degeneration

Degeneration is more common in some areas of the spine than in others. For example, early signs of disc disease are often spotted in the cervical and lumbar spine first. It may seem odd, but degeneration of cervical discs is often diagnosed because of shoulder pain or arm weakness. This is because it often compresses nerves running to the arms and hands. 

There are treatments available for discs. Depending on the level of damage already sustained, you may be given options ranging from physical therapy to fusing the vertebra. If you are also dealing with a pinched nerve Lincoln Square, that can influence which treatment you decide on.

 Identifying its cause is the first set to finding relief from chronic back pain. Poor posture, previous trauma and disc diseases are among the most common causes of back pain.