Back Pain Health Center
Cause
The most common causes of low back pain are:
- Injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, and joints.
-
Pressure on
nerve roots in the spinal canal. This can be caused by:
- A herniated disc, sometimes brought on by repeated vibration or motion (as during sport activity or when using a machine or lifting in the wrong way) or by a sudden heavy strain or increased pressure to the lower back.
- Osteoarthritis, usually caused by getting older. When osteoarthritis affects the small joints in the spine, it can lead to back pain. Osteoarthritis in other joints, such as the hips, can cause you to limp or to change the way you walk. This can also lead to back pain.
- Spondylolisthesis, a defect that allows one vertebra to slide over another.
- Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, which is usually caused by getting older.
- Fractures of the vertebrae caused by a lot of force, such as from an auto or bicycle accident, a direct blow to the spine, or compressing the spine by falling onto the buttocks or head.
- Spinal deformities, including curvature problems such as severe scoliosis or kyphosis.
- Compression fractures. These are more common among post-menopausal women with osteoporosis and in men or women after long-term corticosteroid use. In a person with osteoporosis, even a small amount of force put on the spine, as from a sneeze, may cause a compression fracture.
Less common spinal conditions that can cause low back pain include:
Managing Your Back Pain at Home
If you got up this morning and thought, “Ugh, my back hurts,” you’re not alone. About one in five Americans reports having experienced back pain at least once during the previous month. So, should you go to the doctor? Not necessarily. Most low back pain resolves on its own within about four to six weeks, with or without medical treatment. In many cases, you can manage your back pain at home. First, you should know when it’s a bad idea to handle your back pain yourself. If you have significant...
Read the Managing Your Back Pain at Home article > >
- Ankylosing spondylitis, which is a form of arthritis that most often affects the spine.
-
Bacterial infection. Bacteria are
usually carried to the spine through the bloodstream. You may have back pain from an infection in the bone, in the spinal discs, or in the spinal
cord. An infection may enter the spine from:
- An infection somewhere else in the body.
- Intravenous (IV) drug use.
- Surgery or injection treatments.
- An injury.
- Spinal tumors, which are growths on the bones and ligaments of the spine, on the spinal cord, or on nerve roots.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
