Back pain: Symptom


Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Pain Management Advisor

Subscribe to our Pain Management Advisor
e-newsletter for tips to manage pain.

Sign up now

Your spine is a column of more than 30 bones (vertebrae) held together by muscles, tendons and ligaments and cushioned by shock-absorbing disks. A problem in any part of your spine can cause back pain. For some people, back pain is simply an annoyance. For others, it can be both excruciating and disabling.

Most back pain — even severe back pain — goes away on its own in two to four weeks. Surgery is rarely needed for back pain and is generally considered only as a last resort.

Causes
References
  1. Low back pain fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.htm. Accessed July 15, 2012.
  2. Adult acute and subacute low back pain. Bloomington, Minn.: Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. http://www.icsi.org/low_back_pain/adult_low_back_pain__8.html. Accessed July 10, 2012.
  3. Balague F, et al. Non-specific low back pain. The Lancet. 2012;379:482.
  4. Wheeler SG, et al. Approach to the diagnosis and evaluation of low back pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 14, 2012.
  5. Duffy RL. Low back pain: An approach to diagnosis and management. Primary Care Clinics Office Practice. 2010;37:729.
MY00116 Sept. 11, 2012

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger