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Back Pain Health Center

Back Pain Overview

Back pain affects 80% of Americans at some time in their lives. It comes in many forms, from lower back pain, middle back pain, or upper back pain to low back pain with sciatica. Common back pain causes include nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis. Many people find relief from symptoms of back pain with pain medication or pain killers.

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Pain Doctor, Pain Patient: How Chronic Pain Affected Howard Heit, MD

WebMD talks to pain management specialist and chronic pain patient Howard Heit, MD, FACP, FASAM.

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Understanding Back Pain -- Symptoms

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?

Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their life. The causes of back pain are numerous; some are self-inflicted due to a lifetime of bad habits. Other back pain causes include accidents, muscle strains, and sports injuries. Although the causes may be different, most often they share the same symptoms.

Symptoms of back pain can include:

Understanding Back Pain -- Symptoms

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