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Back pain - low

Definition:

Pain felt in your lower back may come from the spine, muscles, nerves, or other structures in that region. It may also radiate from other areas like your mid or upper back, a hernia in the groin, or a problem in the testicles or ovaries.

You may feel a variety of symptoms if you've hurt your back. You may have a tingling or burning sensation, a dull aching, or sharp pain. You also may experience weakness in your legs or feet.

It won't necessarily be one event that actually causes your pain. You may have been doing many things improperly -- like standing, sitting, or lifting -- for a long time. Then suddenly, one simple movement, like reaching for something in the shower or bending from your waist, leads to the feeling of pain.

Alternative Names:

Backache; Low back pain; Lumbar pain; Pain - back

Considerations:

If you are like most people, you will have at least one backache in your life. While such pain or discomfort can happen anywhere in your back, the most common area affected is your low back. This is because the low back supports most of your body's weight.

Low back pain is the #2 reason that Americans see their doctor -- second only to colds and flus. Many back-related injuries happen at work. But you can change that. There are many things you can do to lower your chances of getting back pain.

Most back problems will get better on their own. The key is to know when you need to seek medical help and when self-care measures alone will allow you to get better.

Low back pain may be acute (short-term), lasting less than one month, or chronic (long-term, continuous, ongoing), lasting longer than three months. While getting acute back pain more than once is common, continuous long-term pain is not.

Common Causes:

You'll usually first feel back pain just after you lift a heavy object, move suddenly, sit in one position for a long time, or have an injury or accident. But prior to that moment in time, the structures in your back may be losing strength or integrity.

The specific structure in your back responsible for your pain is hardly ever identified. Whether identified or not, there are several possible sources of low back pain:

Small fractures to the spine from osteoporosis
Muscle spasm (very tense muscles that remain contracted)
Ruptured or herniated disk
Degeneration of the disks
Poor alignment of the vertebrae
Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
Strain or tears to the muscles or ligaments supporting the back
Spine curvatures (like scoliosis or kyphosis ) which may be inherited and seen in children or teens
Other medical conditions like fibromyalgia

Low back pain from any cause usually involves spasms of the large, supportive muscles alongside the spine. The muscle spasm and stiffness accompanying back pain can feel particularly uncomfortable.

You are at particular risk for low back pain if you:

Work in construction or another job requiring heavy lifting, lots of bending and twisting, or whole body vibration (like truck driving or using a sandblaster)
Have bad posture
Are pregnant
Are over age 30
Smoke, don't exercise, or are overweight
Have arthritis or osteoporosis
Have a low pain threshold
Feel stressed or depressed

Back pain from organs in the pelvis or elsewhere include:

References:

Rakel D. Low Back Pain. In: Integrative Medicine. Elsevier; 2003:423-431.

Sierpina VS, Curtis P, Doering J. An Integrative Approach To Low Back Pain. Clin Fam Pract . 2002; 4(4); 817.

US Preventative Services Task Force. Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Low Back Pain: Brief Evidence Update . Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; February 2004.

Lumbar vertebrae

Review Date: 5/6/2007
Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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