Low Back Pain

See your doctor right away if you have low back pain and any of these warning signs:

See your doctor within a day if you have low back pain and any of these warning signs:

If your pain isn't severe and you have no warning signs, you can wait several days to see a doctor.

Doctors may not always be able to tell what's causing your low back pain. The most common cause of low back pain is:

This may happen on one or both sides of your back. Your pain gets worse with movement and better with rest.

Other common causes include:

A disk is the spongy tissue between back bones (vertebrae) that lets your spine bend. When a disk is torn or squeezed, jelly-like material can bulge out (herniate) and can put pressure on a nerve. Coughing or sneezing may make nerve compression pain worse.

Lumbar spinal stenosis Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Lumbar spinal stenosis is narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. The narrowing squeezes (compresses) the nerves that travel through the lower back into the legs. Osteoarthritis, injuries... read more is a common cause of low back pain in older people.

Your pain may be worse if you:

Sciatica Sciatica Sciatica is pain along the sciatic nerves. These nerves run from the lower back, through the buttocks, and down the legs, ending just below the knee. A herniated disk, complications of osteoarthritis... read more is pain caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the back. It runs from your lower spine down the back of your leg. Any cause of low back pain may result in sciatica.

Usually sciatica affects only one side. You may feel pins-and-needles, tingling, or numbness in part of your leg. You may have achy or shooting pain down the back of your leg to your knee or to your foot. Continued pressure on the nerve is serious and may lead to long-term weakness and numbness in your leg.

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms and health history and do a physical exam.

In certain cases, your doctor may do tests such as x-rays Plain X-Rays A plain x-ray is an imaging test that takes a picture of the inside of your body. It uses a low dose of x-ray radiation. X-rays show body parts according to how dense (solid) they are. Doctors... read more , MRI Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) MRI is a test that uses a machine with a powerful magnet to make pictures of the inside of your body. A computer records changes in the magnetic field around your body. The computer then uses... read more , CT scan Computed Tomography A CT scan uses a large machine shaped like a large donut to take x-rays from many angles. A computer then takes the x-rays and creates many detailed pictures of the inside of your body. Each... read more , or electromyography and nerve conduction studies Electromyography (EMG) and Nerve Conduction Studies Your brain tells your muscles what to do by sending electrical signals to them. The signals travel down your spinal cord and then through different nerves to your muscles. EMG and nerve conduction... read more .

You don't always need x-rays or an MRI when you have back pain.

Doctors base treatment on the cause of your back pain and how long it has lasted. But in general, most low back pain goes away with good home care.

As soon as possible, your doctor will have you start doing mild exercises to strengthen your back. Stronger muscles keep your back stable so it will hurt less. You may be sent for physical therapy Physical Therapy (PT) Physical therapy, a component of rehabilitation, involves exercising and manipulating the body with an emphasis on the back, upper arms, and legs. It can improve joint and muscle function, helping... read more . Therapists can teach you the back exercises so you can do them on your own. They can also teach you how to lift and move properly so you can work safely.

If doctors are sure the pain isn't due to nerve compression or osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) Arthritis is a group of diseases that makes your joints hurt, swell up, and turn red. There are many different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. In osteoarthritis... read more , you may try:

For long-lasting pain, doctors may suggest:

There are many different types of back surgery. Typically, doctors recommend surgery only when you have signs of severe nerve compression or if your pain is very bad and isn't helped by all the other treatments.