Is Chronic Back Pain Hereditary Vacaville CA?

Chronic back pain has affected about 80% of Americans at some point in their lives. If you belong to this group, then the pain will most likely occur in your lower back because it is subject to tremendous mechanical stress and strain. If you have chronic back pain in Vacaville CA contact us today to find relief.

Your spine consists of over 30 bones called vertebrae, wherein they stack on top of each other. It helps support your body weight while also housing and protecting your spinal cord, which consists of nerves that travel down from your brain to supply your entire body.

There are discs made up of cartilage that keep your vertebrae separated from each other. If any of these discs get damaged due to aging or injury, they can become bulged or herniated. Herniated discs can compress a nearby nerve root, causing chronic back pain in the process.

If you have a herniated disc that presses down on your sciatic nerve, you will start feeling sharp, shooting pains down the back of the leg, burning pain, tingling and numbness in one or both legs, weakness in one or both legs, and for severe cases, loss of bladder and bowel control. Another common cause of nerve root damage is osteoarthritis, in which bone spurs or bits of protruding bones press on the nerve roots.

Can You Inherit Chronic Back Pain In Vacaville CA?

Why does one person start developing back problems while the other doesn't? The answer may lie in their genes.

Experts suggest that if you examine the MRI scans of twins - one performs heavy physical work for a living, while the other sits all day working at a desk job - their scan results are almost identical. This finding suggests that genetics play a major role in the development of back pain. So, if you suffer from chronic back pain, it is possible that you have inherited the condition, but it doesn't mean that other factors are contributing to your pain. In fact, genetics might have nothing to do with your pain at all.

Other causes of back pain include poor posture, a sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercising and stretching, and muscle imbalances in the body.

Your lower back has sensitive receptors known as nociceptive receptors that transmit pain signals to your brain. Scientists have noted that there are people who have many nociceptive fibers in their spinal discs while others only have a few.

This can make a difference when you are lifting heavy weights or placing a heavy strain on your back without incurring any problems and being prone to chronic pain. Again, the first step to recovery is always finding out the underlying cause of your back pain.

So, can you really inherit chronic back pain? There are still some doubts about that question, but some evidence suggests that there are cases where it might happen.

Nevertheless, it is still important to go visit your doctor or primary health care provider if you start feeling the pain that is beyond your level of tolerance. This could be a sign of something serious especially if it's not being taken care of in the soonest possible time. You can visit our clinic here at Absolute Integrative Physical Medicine in Vacaville, CA if you want to get a thorough assessment of your back pain. Just call us at (707) 474-5688 so that we can schedule an appointment for you right away.