Can Your Acid Reflux and Back Pain Be Related?
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed
A very large number of people who suffer from acid reflux must deal with back pain which always seems to accompany the burning sensation in the chest. Of course, not everyone who suffers from acid reflux also suffers from back pain and, on the other hand, many people with back pain do not have heartburn. However, recent studies have shown a connection between back pain and acid reflux in some patients. The back pain has two causes: for some people, the pain is the result of an antagonized esophagus while for others it is caused by positional therapy used to control their acid reflux.
acid reflux is the result of a weakened lower esophageal sphincter muscle, which is supposed to only allow food to pass from the esophagus and into the stomach. I is not meant to allow anything to flow in reverse, but occasionally it does happen and when the acid in the stomach leeches into the esophagus it burns the tender lining causing a painful, burning sensation. Those suffering from severe acid reflux and back pain that accompanies it should consider consulting their doctor to make sure it is not something more serious.
With the many over the counter products on the market to relieve the symptoms of acid reflux and back pain medications to reduce the pain, it may be possible to confuse two different problems with two others that are not related. Only through a medical consultation can they be properly diagnosed.
Fact: Pain Can Radiate Into Back Muscles
When a person suffers from acid indigestion, the pain is typically centered at about the middle of the chest near the location of the heart, hence the term heartburn. However, the pain has been known to radiate into the shoulders, neck and arm and sometimes the acid reflux and back pain seem to be related. It is possible the burning from the acid reflux also radiates around or over the shoulder and into the back.
However, acid indigestion can also be caused by digestive problems and sometimes these same problems can cause pain the lower to middle back. If the acid reflux and back pain strike at the same time, there is a good chance they are related, but when the pain comes to both areas separately, the association may not be as obvious.
Furthermore, persons suffering from acid reflux are often told to sleep with their head and upper body elevated and this new position may be putting additional stress on the back muscles. In conclusion, although it may appear that the acid reflux and back pain are definitely related, always remember that it could simply be the positional therapy that is causing the pain in the back.
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