Back pain is a symptom of a strain, sprain, spine disorder or condition affecting organs in your pelvis or belly. Pain can range from mild to severe, and it may spread to your legs or elsewhere. A healthcare provider can identify the cause of your back pain and recommend treatment to help you find relief.
What is back pain?
Back pain is discomfort you feel anywhere along the back of your body, from the base of your neck to the top of your butt. It’s a common symptom of many different underlying injuries and conditions. Back pain is one of the top reasons why people visit healthcare providers.
What does back pain feel like?
Back pain can feel different depending on its cause. You might describe your pain as:
- Burning
- Aching
- Dull
- Sharp
- Shooting
- Stabbing
- Throbbing
You may also experience:
- Muscle tightness or stiffness
- Tingling, numbness or weakness
- Sudden muscle twitches or contractions, which can range from mild to extremely painful (back spasms)
Pain or other sensations may spread (radiate) from your back to other areas, like your butt, hips or legs.
Certain positions (like standing up, bending over or lying down) may worsen or improve your symptoms. Pain may come and go. It may be worse at certain times of the day (like when you first wake up).
What are the types of back pain?
Healthcare providers often describe back pain according to its location. You may have:
- Upper and middle back pain. This is back pain you feel between the base of your neck and the bottom of your rib cage. Your thoracic spine runs through this area.
- Lower back pain. This is back pain you feel below your ribcage. Your lumbar spine runs through this area.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves surround your spine and help you move. But many different injuries and chronic conditions can affect all these moving parts, leading to back pain.
Lower back pain is more common than upper and middle back pain. This is because your lumbar spine bears most of your body weight and also most of the stress when you lift or carry things. So, this section of your spine and the structures surrounding it are especially vulnerable to painful injuries and wear and tear from overuse.
Acute vs. chronic back pain
Besides its location, healthcare providers also describe back pain according to how long it lasts:
Chronic back pain lasts more than 12 weeks.
Acute back pain lasts less than four weeks.
Subacute back pain can last anywhere from four to 12 weeks.
Possible Causes
What are the most common causes of back pain?
Back strains and sprains are the most common causes of back pain. These injuries can occur suddenly (that “ouch” moment) or over time. Strains and sprains affect different parts of your back:
- Strains are injuries to your muscles or tendons. They can occur from a single event (like lifting a heavy object) or from prolonged, repetitive movements (like constantly bending down at work).
- Sprains are injuries to your ligaments. They typically occur after a sudden fall, twist or blunt force injury that stretches a ligament beyond its normal range of motion.
With a strain or sprain, you may notice:
- Muscle spasms
- Pain that gets worse when you move
- Decreased range of motion (it’s hard to walk, bend or stand like you normally would)
For a sudden injury, you might hear a pop or feel a tearing sensation right when it happens.
Other back pain causes
Besides strains and sprains, there are many other possible causes of back pain. These fall into several main groups:
- Mechanical or structural problems in your back
- Conditions that cause referred back pain (pain you feel in your back due to a problem somewhere else in your body)
- Infections
- Tumors
Mechanical or structural problems in your back
These are issues with any of the following:
- The bones that make up your spine (vertebrae)
- The flat, round cushions between your vertebrae (intervertebral disks)
- The soft tissues surrounding your vertebrae and disks, including muscles, tendons and ligaments
Conditions that cause referred back pain
Certain medical conditions can cause referred pain. This is pain you feel in one part of your body (in this case, your back) due to an issue in another part of your body.
Referred back pain can happen due to a wide range of conditions affecting organs in your abdomen (belly) or pelvis. Specific examples of conditions and how you might experience back pain
