Quick Summary: Back pain is the most common issue in the United States.  Back pain causes several issues including muscle strains and sprains,  injuries, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and several others. These issues are very common in people of all age groups, including young adults. Do you know how this problem occurred, its impact, treatment, and care? We have got some good answers for you in this article. Let’s explore;

Many people live with pain all their lives. Depending on the individual, back pain may be mild or severe and life-threatening in some cases. As per estimates, 7.3% of the global population suffers from back pain and this figure may decrease slightly but hover around the 7.03% mark. What is back pain?

Any pain that a person experiences from the base of his neck to his tailbone falls under back pain. Back pain can be an indication of injuries and multiple health problems. Rather than relying on home remedies and internet searches to cure back pain, people should consult professionals who can get to the root of the problem and implement the right treatments.

Treating chronic back pain requires a focused and professional approach. Ignoring back pain can worsen the situation over time. This blog will focus on multiple aspects related to back pain including the causes, treatment, home remedies, treatment and more. Without further ado, let’s get started.

Common Back Pain Symptoms

There can be many types of back pain ( we have explained those back pains in the article).  Those back pains have some common symptoms which you must know so that you can take timely precaution and prevent them getting worse. Hence, people experience different kinds of symptoms including the following.

• Burning Pain
• Mild to Severe Aches
• Dull Pain
• Sharp Pain
• Shooting Pain
• Stabbing Pain
• Throbbing Pain

Common back pain causes are as follows.

• Muscle Tightness
• Stiffness
• Tingling or Numbness
• Weakness
• Sudden Muscle Twitches/Contractions resulting in sharp to severe pain

Sitting, walking, or standing in certain positions may trigger back pain or make it worse. The opposite is also true. Sometimes, the pain and other symptoms can spread from the back to other body parts like the hips, legs, buttocks etc.

Types of Back Pain

We have explained the symptoms of back pain. People who ignore those symptoms have to suffer from different types of back pains.  Those back pains are reversible and can be prevented from getting those conditions bad to worse. Back pain specialists bifurcate back pain into many categories. The most common ones are as follows.

Upper and Middle Back Pain

Upper and middle back pain is between the neck’s base and the end of the rib cage. This is the spot where a person’s thoracic spine is located.

Lower Back Pain

Any pain felt below the rib cage all the way down to the tailbone falls under the category of lower back pain. The lumbar spine is located in the lower back area.

The value of the global lower back pain market was estimated to be around $USD 10.32 billion in 2024 which is projected to touch $USD 15.71 billion by 2032 (5.40% CAGR between 2025 to 2032).

However, the lower back anatomy is complex, involving multiple muscles, tendons and nerves. They surround the spine and help us perform basic movements like bending. Injuries, bad posture, and other conditions can cause problems in the spine and muscles, tendons, nerves surrounding it.

Most humans experience lower back pain compared to upper and middle back pain. The reason for lower back pain is that the lumbar spine bears most of the body’s weight and helps individuals lift objects off the ground. Improper lifting techniques like jerky movements or back rounding, can cause spine injuries and impair regular movements.

Mild vs. Severe Back Pain

We discussed pain based on its location in the back but the degree of pain also indicates its duration.

• Acute back pain usually goes away in four weeks.
• Sub-acute pain can last for four to twelve weeks.
• Chronic back pain can last for over twelve weeks.

Most Common Causes of Back Pain

The most common back pain include sprains and strains. Sprains and injuries can occur at the spur of the moment or due to muscle overuse. Below are some common causes of back pain.

• Strains – These strains are injuries that affect tendons. Lifting heavy objects without proper precautions or repetitive use can trigger strains.
• Sprains – Injured ligaments result in sprains. Sprains occur due to sudden twists, falls or blunt force injuries. When a ligament is forced to stretch beyond its normal range of motion, it results in sprains.

Symptoms of sprains/strains include the following:

• Muscle Spasms
• Increased pain with specific movements
• Decreased range of motion
• Pain experienced while performing regular movements like walking, sitting, or standing.

Many people experience a sharp popping or tearing sound after bending or picking up something heavy.

Additional Causes of Back Pain

Additional causes of back pain include the following:

• Mechanical/structural problems in the back.
• Sometimes the cause of back pain may be due to injuries or conditions in other body parts.
• Tumors
• Infections

What are Mechanical/Structural Back Problems?

Mechanical or structural back problems include the following

• Problems in the bones of the spine.
• Issues with the intervertebral disks (cushions between the vertebrae).
• Injuries to the soft tissues around the vertebrae and discs, including muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Below are structural back problems that may lead to back pain.

• Arthritis: Conditions like osteoarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis can cause lower back stiffness and pain, with symptoms varying from person to person. 
• Degenerative disk disease: Causes lower back pain that can radiate to the arms, legs, or buttocks. Such pain is often triggered by bending or twisting. 
• Fractured spine – A sudden injury can lead to sharp, intense back pain that becomes worse with movement or walking. 
• Herniated disk – A damaged disk may press on nerves, causing lower back pain and sharp pain down one leg (sciatica). Severe cases can lead to cauda equina syndrome, which is a medical emergency. 
• Myofascial pain syndrome – Common symptoms of myofascial pain syndrome include deep, aching pain, muscle tenderness, and trigger points. 
• Sacroiliitis – Inflammation in the sacroiliac joints can cause lower back pain that can radiate to the hips, buttocks, or thighs. 
• Scoliosis – Scoliosis, aka spinal curve, can cause back pain, difficulty standing upright, and in severe cases, leg numbness or weakness. 
• Spinal stenosis – Narrowing of the spine in the lower back can pinch nerves, causing pain, sciatica, and heavy legs, especially when standing or walking. 
• Spondylolisthesis – Causes lower back pain, thigh muscle spasms, and discomfort when bending, walking, or standing for extended periods. 
• Spondylosis – Spondylosis often causes lower back pain that can spread to the thighs and buttocks, usually worsening with activity and improving with rest.

Why Does Referred Pain Occur?

Referred pain is when an individual feels pain in one part of his body due to ailments in another body part. Many conditions can cause referred back pain. These conditions can cause sharp pain in the stomach or pelvis. The causes of referred back pain may include the following:

• Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – A steady, deep pain in the lower back or belly, sometimes reaching your leg, groin, or pelvis. Patients may also feel a strange pulsing in their abdomen. 
• Gallbladder Inflammation – Sharp or crampy pain in the upper right side of your belly that may spread to the back, often worse with deep breaths. Nausea, vomiting, and fever can follow. 
• Kidney Infection – Patients experience pain on one side of the lower back. Other symptoms include fever, chills, burning during urination, and possibly cloudy/bloody urine. 
• Kidney Stones – Intense pain that comes in waves that originates from the sides and proceeds to the groin. Patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, and trouble peeing. Passing urine with blood may also be common. 
• Pancreatitis – Moderate to severe abdominal pain that can radiate to the patient’s back. It often gets worse when the patient lies flat, eating heavily, coughing, or being active. 
• Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) – Discomfort in the lower belly, back, or pelvic area, along with cloudy or foul-smelling urine, burning while peeing, and frequent urges to urinate. 

Women-Specific Deferred Back Pain

• Endometriosis can trigger deep, throbbing pain in the lower back, pelvis, and abdomen. 
• Menstrual cramps may become so intense that they disrupt normal life. 
• Patients may experience unusually heavy periods or unexpected spotting between cycles. Longer periods with menstrual cramps are also common. 
• Sexual intercourse can become painful, causing both physical and emotional trauma. 
• Uterine fibroids can cause persistent lower back discomfort or sharp, stabbing pain in the stomach

Infections Causing Back Pain

• Spinal epidural abscess – An infection between the spine and the protective layer around the spinal cord. It often causes back pain, along with symptoms like fever, trouble urinating, or loss of control over bladder or bowel movements. 
• Vertebral osteomyelitis – A bone infection originating in the spine that usually causes continuous lower back pain, even while resting. The affected area may feel sore to the touch. Other symptoms include fever.

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Back Pain Diagnosis

A reputed doctor or a back pain expert will examine a patient’s back and evaluate his ability to stand, sit, walk and lift his legs. After this initial diagnosis, the doctor may ask more questions about the extent of pain and how it hinders daily activities.

A physical assessment and basic questions help the doctor understand the cause of the back pain and when the pain forces the patient to stop regular movements. Detailed medical tests can also highlight the causes of back pain.

• X-rays – Highlights arthritis or broken bones but not effective for spotting issues related to the spinal cord, muscles, nerves, or discs. 
• MRI or CT scans – Generates detailed images that can uncover herniated discs or problems with bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and blood vessels. 
• Blood tests – Helps to rule out infections or underlying conditions that may be the cause of pain. 
• Nerve studies (such as EMG) – Electromyography (EMG) determines the ability of the nerves to send signals to your muscles. It also detects nerve pressure emanating from issues such as herniated disks or spinal narrowing.

Treatment for Back Pain

Younger people recover faster from back pain compared to older people, especially senior citizens. Complete bed rest is not necessary, but pain relievers and heat packs can help. Patients can resume normal activities but they must not perform activities that aggravate back pain.

At the same time, staying away from any physical activity is also not recommended. Easy activities like walking are fine. If the treatment fails to show any results, consult a reputed professional that specializes in physical therapy services.

Physical Therapy for Back Pain

A trained and knowledgeable physical therapist can educate patients on how to perform exercises to increase flexibility, improve posture while strengthening back and core muscles. Performing these exercises regularly can help with pain relief and reduce their reoccurrence. Physical therapists also teach patients on dealing with back pain while performing specific movements. These strategies help patients lead a healthy life without enduring excessive pain.

Surgical Procedures for Back Pain

Surgical procedures for back pain include the following:

• Cortisone injections: When other treatments don’t help with back pain that radiates downward to the leg, a shot of cortisone combined with a numbing agent may ease the discomfort. It targets inflammation around spinal nerves, but the relief is temporary (one to two months at max). 
• Radiofrequency ablation: This involves guiding a thin needle near the painful spot and using radio waves to heat and disrupt the nearby nerves. Damaging them prevents pain signals from reaching the brain. 
• Implanted nerve stimulators: Doctors place small devices under the skin to send electrical pulses to specific nerves. These pulses can help block or reduce pain by interfering with the pain signals. 
• Surgery – Prolonged muscle weakness or pain radiating from the back to the leg may improve with surgery. This surgery creates additional space in the spine, relieving pressure caused by herniated disks or spinal narrowing.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we have explored how pain causes treatment and precautions to get instant pain relief. But there are so many things that you can perform and bring into your practice so that such problems will occur. We have explained everything in detail for you in this article. Still, if you want to understand back pain issues in detail or are looking for a comprehensive solution,  we can help you prevent back pain issues from the root level. Town Physical Therapy is the leading physiotherapy provider in Paramus offering a wide range of services to help people stay healthy, fit, and active. Contact us if you want treatment or consultation.