Types & causes of back pain

What are the different types of back pain?

Back pain is a symptom of a medical condition. It can feel like a sudden, sharp pain (acute) or a dull, constant ache (chronic).

Acute back pain refers to a brief episode of pain that comes on suddenly and lasts from a few days to a few weeks. It’s often caused by an accident, fall, or lifting something incorrectly or that is too heavy.

Acute back pain usually gets better on its own, with little or no treatment.

Chronic back pain lasts for more than 3 months. It’s much less common than acute back pain. Most chronic back pain can be treated without surgery.

Did you know?

Acute pain is the most common type of back pain and lasts no longer than 6 weeks. Chronic pain can come on quickly or slowly and lasts a long time, generally longer than 3 months.

What causes back pain?

Pain that primarily affects the back is different from sciatica - a spinal condition that results in mostly leg pain. Typically, sciatica is the result of a "pinched nerve" in the spinal column. In most cases the cause of the sciatica is clear — for example, a disc problem or arthritis.

The cause of back pain, on the other hand, is often more difficult to pinpoint and may be related to stress or some of the conditions below:

Mechanical problems such as:

Disc breakdown
Spasms
Tense muscles

Ruptured discs
Injuries from sprains, fractures, accidents, and falls

Some medical conditions and diseases, such as:

Scoliosis, curving of the spine that does not usually cause pain until middle age
Spondylolisthesis, where a bone in the spine slips out of place
Arthritis
Spinal stenosis, narrowing of the spinal column
Pregnancy

Kidney stones
Endometriosis - the buildup of tissue outside the uterus
Fibromyalgia, a condition of widespread muscle pain and tiredness
Infections
Tumors

Who gets back pain?

Anyone can experience back pain, but some things that increase the risk are:

Getting older: Back pain is more common the older you get due to various age-related physical, psychological, and mental changes, as well as multiple risk factors (e.g., genetics, gender, and ethnicity).

You may first experience pain between 30 to 40 years old.

Poor physical fitness: Back pain is more common in people who are unfit or not physically active.

Being overweight: A diet high in calories and fat can make you gain weight. Too much weight can cause stress on the back and result in pain.

Heredity: Genes play a role in some causes of back pain, such as certain types of arthritis.

Other diseases: Some types of arthritis and cancer can cause back pain.

Your job: If you have to lift, push, or pull while twisting your spine, you may suffer back pain. If you work at a desk all day and do not sit up straight, you may also experience back pain.

Smoking: Your body may not be able to get enough nutrients to the spinal discs if you smoke. Smoker’s cough may also cause back pain: People who smoke are slow to heal, so discomfort may last longer.

Race: Black women are two to three times more likely than white women to have part of the lower spine slip out of place.

Did you know?

In people under 40 years of age, back pain is the most common reason for the inability to perform daily tasks.