Dr. Stefano Sinicropi, M.D.

We’re going to start a series that focuses on back pain and common back problems that tend to affect different age groups. Eventually, you’ll be able to read up on conditions that affect us in our golden years, but to start, we’re going to focus on back pain in younger individuals and work our way up. Since we’ve already covered common spinal issues in teenagers, we’ve decided to start with the next age group – people in their twenties. Below, we take a look at some of the most common causes and treatment options for people in their twenties who are dealing with back pain.

Back Pain During Your 20s

Back pain is never a normal occurrence, but it’s understandable how natural degeneration and decades of physical labor can have lingering effects on a body. However, since people in their twenties can’t really cite the aforementioned reasons for why their back hurts, what are some of the most common causes of back pain for this group? We explore some possibilities.

1. Strains and Muscle Tears – Back strains and muscle tears are quite common for this group because they tend to be quite active. Exercise and activity are great ways to stay in shape, but if you overload an area, it can become injured. We see a lot of athletes and young individuals in our clinic that overdid it a bit or suffered a spinal muscle tear during intense activity. Rest, physical therapy and avoiding overstressing the area while it heals are great ways to deal with these types of injuries.
2. Spondylitis – Spondylitis is a form of spinal arthritis that tends to be more common in younger adults. It involves chronic inflammation of the spine and sacroiliac joints. Certain genetic factors can put you at a heightened risk for the condition, which is why it’s so important to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise to help keep your spine strong. Treatment involves reducing the inflammation through medication, physical therapy or certain exercises.
3. Text Neck – People of all ages are glued to their smartphones, but younger adults tend to pay more attention to their phones than other generations. All this time with your head down and craned forward can have big implications for your cervical spine. It should come as no surprise that spine specialists are treating more cases of neck pain or cervical disc problems, and medical experts believe heightened phone use is often part of the problem. Be mindful of your posture when you’re on your phone or laptop, and do some neck stretches throughout the day if you’re working for long hours at a desk or having an extended scrolling session on your phone.
4. Significant Trauma – Now, we’re not saying that people in their twenties are the only ones who suffer significant trauma to their spine, but when you’re younger you tend to be a little more of a risk taker, and if that backfires, it can lead to a bad injury. We understand that you have that rush for adrenaline, and not all injuries are preventable, but please make some smart safety choices during certain activities. Buckle up, wear a helmet and pay attention to your surroundings to help avoid a catastrophic injury to your spine.

Those aren’t the only ways that back pain can develop for patients in their twenties, but this group can be a little more prone to these types of injuries. No matter your age, if you’re dealing with one of the above conditions, or you just want to get to the bottom of your back pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and his team today.

Comments are closed.