Back Pain

Back pain is any type of pain or discomfort on the backside of your body between your lower neck and your tailbone. Sudden, sharp or stabbing back pain is known as acute back pain. Chronic back pain builds gradually and may last for months. Chronic back pain may feel more dull or achy.

Symptoms With Back Pain

You may also notice these symptoms with back pain:

• Pain in the neck, shoulder or hip
• Pain that runs through the buttocks and down one leg
• Swelling, redness or warmth in the back
• Stiffness and trouble moving
• Difficulty sleeping or fatigue
• Headache
• Anxiety or depression

See your doctor for persistent or severe back pain, or if back pain is affecting your daily activities. 

Seek urgent (same day) care for low back pain with loss of bladder or bowel control and worsening numbness or weakness in your legs or arms. This is due to compression of the nerves in the lower spine, which can lead to permanent nerve damage.

In rare cases, back pain can be a sign of a life-threatening condition, such as a heart attack. Seek immediate care (call 911) for back pain with chest, jaw or abdominal pain or difficulty breathing.

Causes of Back Pain

Some causes of back pain are problems within the back itself, including the structures of the spine and nerves, muscles and ligaments:

• Muscle strain and spasms from an injury, overuse, or sudden, awkward or forceful movements
• Disc problems including compression or bulging. Discs act like cushions between the spinal bones (vertebrae).
• Osteoporosis and other conditions that affect the bones of the spine, such as osteomyelitis (infection or inflammation of the spinal bones)
• Arthritis including osteoarthritis of the spine and ankylosing spondylitis
• Spinal alignment problems such as scoliosis

Other causes of back pain start elsewhere in the body and can spread to the back:

• Gynecological conditions including ectopic pregnancy, uterine prolapse, and premenstrual syndrome
• Cardiovascular conditions including aortic aneurysm or heart attack
• Kidney conditions including stones or infection

Diagnosing the Cause of Back Pain

Your doctor may be able to diagnose the cause of your back pain by your symptoms, physical exam, medical history, and recent physical activity. An imaging test, such as an X-ray, bone scan, or MRI can help your doctor confirm or rule out a diagnosis.

With or without a known cause, your doctor can help you ease the pain. Basic care at home, over-the-counter pain medicine, and exercises to strengthen the back are usually effective. When these and other nonsurgical treatments are no longer working, surgery may be an option in some cases.