Back pain affects 80 percent of people at some point in their lives. It can be caused by lifting something heavy, a medical condition, or aging. Most of the time, back pain goes away on its own, but you may need treatment to improve your condition.
Back pain is extremely common — most people will experience it at some point in their lives, and lower back pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Back pain sounds pretty self-explanatory, but there are actually a few different types.
The three main types of back pain include:
Acute back pain. This lasts a few days to a few weeks and may happen suddenly.
Subacute back pain. This lasts four to 12 weeks and may happen suddenly or develop over time.
Chronic back pain. This lasts longer than 12 weeks, gives you daily pain, and may happen suddenly or develop over time.
Back pain feels different for everyone, too. You might have pain that comes and goes, pain in one spot or all over your back, or pain that feels like a dull ache or a sharp shock.
You could also experience pain in your upper or middle back, or lumbar pain — pain in your lower back.
Reach out to a healthcare provider if your back problems don’t improve in a few weeks or if you experience:
Pain after an injury or fall
Numbness
Tingling
Trouble urinating
Fever
Weakness, numbness, or pain in your legs
Severe pain that doesn’t improve with medication
Unintended weight loss
These symptoms could be a sign of a more serious medical condition.
Of course, the main symptom of back pain is…back pain. But there are other things to look out for.
Symptoms of back pain can include:
Pain in one spot or all over your back
Pain that comes and goes
A dull ache
A sharp pain that may or may not shoot down your leg
Pain that radiates into other parts of the body, like your abdomen, hips, buttocks, legs, or even feet
More pain when bending or lifting
More pain when resting, sitting, or standing
Numbness or weakness in your legs or feet
A tingling or burning sensation
Stiffness in the morning, which may go away when you start moving around
If any of this persists for more than a day or two, you may want to see a healthcare professional.
Wondering, Why does my back hurt? There are many common causes of back pain, and your back pain could be caused by more than one thing.
Back pain causes include:
An accident or injury. You might have fallen down the stairs, sprained your back playing tennis, got whiplash in a car crash, or lifted something heavy. An accident or injury can damage the ligaments, muscles, tendons, or bones in your back.
Overweight or obesity. Excess weight can put a lot of strain on your back and contribute to poor posture. It can also cause chronic inflammation and increase your odds of dyslipidemia (abnormal levels of lipids, or fats, in the blood).
Bad posture. This can be caused by obesity, a medical condition, pregnancy, or sitting and standing for long periods at work or home.
Medical conditions. The list is long and includes inflammatory arthritis, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, kidney stones, kidney infections, sciatica, herniated disks, endometriosis, fibromyalgia, scoliosis, and tumors — just to name a few.
Age. As we grow older, the disks in between our vertebrae that act as shock absorbers slowly break down. Age can also cause spinal stenosis, which is when the space around your spinal cord gets too small, putting pressure on your nerves.
FYI, what causes back pain in females is largely the same as in males. But the causes of lower back pain in women can also include pregnancy and medical conditions that affect women, like endometriosis.
It’s also possible that a healthcare provider won’t be able to pinpoint what causes lower back pain — this happens in about 90 percent of people.
Back pain can affect anyone, but a few risk factors up your odds — and you have more control over some than others.
Back pain risk factors include:
Overweight and obesity. This puts more pressure on your back, upping your risk of back pain and injury.
Not doing much exercise. You might have weaker back and core muscles, meaning your spine is less supported. If you jump into a new exercise routine too fast, you could also injure your back.
Having a physical job. If you do any heavy lifting, pushing, or twisting at work, or do lots of repetitive movements, you might throw your back out.
Having a sedentary job. Oh, the irony. Sitting at a desk all day can increase your odds of back pain, especially if you have poor posture or sit in a chair with no back support.
Stress. Those who experience ongoing stress or have mental health conditions are at higher risk of developing back pain.
Smoking. Smoking can reduce blood flow to the disks in your spine, making them break down faster.
Age. You can experience back pain at any age, but back pain might develop in your 30s, and it becomes more common after age 45.
Genetics. Your genes determine whether you have some of the health conditions that could increase your risk of developing back pain.
When you first go see a healthcare provider about back pain, they may start by asking about your symptoms.
They may ask:
How severe is the pain?
When did it start?
Where exactly does it hurt?
What activities or movements make the pain worse?
Next, your provider might ask about your family and medical history to figure out if a health condition could be to blame. They may also ask about your job and lifestyle to help determine the causes of your pain.
Your healthcare provider might want to do a physical exam. This could involve:
Looking at your back and posture
Asking you to bend or lift your legs
Feeling your back for signs of tenderness
This should be enough to diagnose your back pain and recommend the best course of action. But, depending on your condition, your healthcare provider may order further tests to help figure out the cause of your back pain.
Additional testing isn’t always recommended, as it can lead to more invasive treatments. Your provider may suggest it if you’ve been experiencing back pain for longer than six weeks or if you have other concerning signs they want to check out.
These tests can include:
X-rays. These can check for broken bones or fractures.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This can look for inflammation, cancer, or soft tissue lesions — abnormalities in soft tissues like muscles and tendons. It might show a back strain, sprain, or infection.
Computerized axial tomography (CAT). This can show abnormalities in your bones or the tissues in your back.
Bone scans. This can show stress fractures or infections in bone tissue or disks.
Blood tests. These look for signs of inflammation, infection, and cancer.
Electromyography (EMG). This can detect nerve disorders or spinal stenosis (when there’s not enough space in the backbone).
The best treatment for back pain will depend on what’s causing it and how severe the pain is. The good news is most people’s back pain improves in six weeks, and yours may even go away on its own.
If you need treatment, here are your options.
Medications for back pain include:
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen
Prescription pain relief
Anti-inflammatory drugs or injections
Muscle relaxants
Anti-inflammatory or numbing injections
Ask your healthcare provider which medications may be best for your situation.
Try holding a hot pack, hot water bottle, or thermal wrap on your back. A hot bath might also help.
Why? Heat can promote blood flow to encourage healing, relieve muscle spasms, and reduce pain.
Cold packs and ice may also help by reducing inflammation.
Physical therapy may involve stretches and exercises designed to strengthen your back muscles and get you moving normally again.
Your healthcare provider might refer you to a physical therapist to get a personalized plan or recommend McKenzie therapy, a style of physical therapy focused on treating back pain.
General exercise, yoga, and Pilates can also help ease back pain and stiffness.
If overweight or obesity are contributing to back pain, weight loss may help.
To reach your weight loss goals, you can:
Eat nutritious foods. Opt for fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fats, and whole grains like brown rice and oatmeal.
Drink more water. Water can help you feel fuller and promote the breakdown of fat.
Do more movement. This might be one to save for when your back is in less pain, but even walking more can help you reach your weight loss goals.
Get enough shut-eye. Try to prioritize getting enough sleep. Keeping a regular sleep schedule and cutting down on caffeine can help. If back pain is keeping you up, try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs or dozing on your back with a pillow under your knees.
Consider weight loss medications. Injectables and weight loss pills can be useful for some. Your options include drugs like Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounarjo®, compounded semaglutide, and metformin.
Your healthcare provider can recommend a suitable weight loss goal for you and talk you through the best ways to get there. You can also take our free online assessment to get expert advice and a tailor-made treatment plan.
As counterintuitive as it sounds, it’s usually recommended that you avoid bed rest when you have back pain. Staying in bed may actually make your back pain worse.
You should stop doing any physical activities that give you pain. But try to get back to everyday activities as soon as you can, slowly increasing how much activity you do as your back heals.
Check with your healthcare provider to see how much and which types of movement you should be doing as you treat your back pain.
Depending on how severe back pain is, how long it’s been going on, and what’s causing it, you may need surgery.
Surgery for back pain includes:
Removing herniated disks
Replacing damaged disks with synthetic ones
Removing some bone from the vertebrae to widen the spinal column
This wouldn’t be a first-line treatment, though. Surgery is something that might be recommended when other options haven’t worked.
There are a few steps you can take to reduce your chances of developing back pain.
Those include:
Limiting how much you carry or lift heavy objects. If you need to lift something heavy, bend down with your knees — not your back — and use the muscles in your legs and core as much as possible. Consider getting an extra helping hand.
Doing regular movement. Take breaks from sitting at your desk or during long drives, and engage in muscle-strengthening activities to keep the muscles of your back and core strong. Making movement a part of your weekly routine can also help.
Maintaining a healthy weight. Nutritious foods, water, regular movement, and plenty of sleep can help here.
Quit smoking. Try gradually cutting down, removing reminders — like lighters and ashtrays — from your home, and getting support from an online group or friends and family.