Physician Specialist Glossary

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:

• Persistent aching or stiffness anywhere along your spine, from the base of the neck to the tail bone
• Sharp, localized pain in the neck, upper back, or lower back -- especially after lifting heavy objects or engaging in other strenuous activity. (Pain in the upper back can also be a sign of a heart attack or other life-threatening conditions.)
• Chronic ache in the middle or lower back, especially after sitting or standing for extended periods
• Back pain that radiates from the low back to the buttock, down the back of the thigh, and into the calf and toes
• Inability to stand straight without having severe muscle spasms in the low back

Call Your Doctor About Back Pain If:

• You feel numbness, tingling, or weakness in your arms or legs; this may signal damage to the spinal cord.
• The pain in your back extends downward along the back of the leg; you may be suffering from sciatica.
• The pain increases when you cough or bend forward at the waist; this can be the sign of a herniated disc.
• The pain is accompanied by fever, burning during urination, or strong-smelling urine; you may have an infection.
• You begin to have problems controlling your bowels or bladder.

Other "red flags" that could point to a serious problem include:

• A history of cancer
• You have been losing weight without trying
• You have been on steroids or medication that weakens your immune system
• A history of trauma
• Pain that is getting worse and does not get better after you rest
• Pain that has lasted more than a month
• Nighttime pain
• Unresponsive to earlier back therapies
• A history of IV drug use