You know, you reach down to close the cupboard, and Whamo. Shooting pain, inability to stand straight up without holding on to something. What is happening?
In: Biology
I’m not a doctor.
What you’re describing sounds like sciatica or other temporary swelling which is putting pressure on the nerves of the spine.
The short answer is that one or more discs which act like shock absorbers have shifted, putting pressure on the spine and the strong, shocking pain is your body’s way of getting you to stop moving so it can heal.
The spinal cord is built of different vertebrae or segments and discs between them which act as shock absorbers so you don’t have bone grinding on bone as you bend. If you put too much force on these discs, they can slip and depending on how they slip and how much, they can put pressure on the spine. Like any other injury, there is some swelling involved, which helps immobilize the segment so it can heal, but it also puts pressure on the nerves causing the pain.
A common kind of injury like this is called sciatica, it’s a ‘pinched nerve’ in the lower back which sends pain radiating down one or both legs especially when lifting the leg up or bending the back.
Another common point is between the shoulder blades and this is the one you more commonly get when closing a cabinet door, drying your back off after a shower, etc.
Bad posture, poor physical activity, a poorly designed chair or mattress can all make it easier for these injuries to occur.
They are seldom serious, just painful and anti inflammatories like Naproxen, Ibuprofen, can help with the pain by reducing the swelling.
Regular stretching and moderate exercise helps the muscles of the back support your weight more evenly and help provide support to the spine to make pinched nerves / slipped discs / sciatica less common.
This isn’t medical advice, if you have concerns you should talk about them with a doctor.
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