Back Pain

Back pain includes lower back pain, middle back pain, upper back pain or low back pain with sciatica. Nerve and muscular problems, degenerative disc disease, and arthritis can result in back pain. Back pain symptoms may be relived with pain medication or pain killers.

What Are the Symptoms of Back Pain?

Most people have experienced back pain sometime in their lives. 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 pain or muscle spasms in the lower back