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What Are the Causes of Chronic Back Pain?

Chronic back pain is one of the most common chronic pain syndromes in the U.S.; it affects women and men equally. There are a variety of causes of chronic back pain.

  1. Description

    • Chronic back pain is pain lasting more than three months; unlike acute back pain which lasts less than six weeks, chronic back pain does not usually respond to physical therapy or medications. The pain felt can be stabbing, shooting, or localized discomfort.

    Causes

    • Most causes of chronic back pain are due to strains or sprains of ligaments and muscles. Other causes are disk herniation, injury, poor posture, lack of exercise, and depression.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms include aching after prolonged sitting or standing, difficulty walking or climbing, limited range of motion as well as aching or stiffness along the spine, radicular symptoms, and pain after bending, lifting and other activities.

    Treatments

    • Treatment for chronic back pain usually involves several therapies used in combination with each other. Physical, interventional, psychological, complementary and drug therapies are all used.

    Warning

    • Several treatments have not been shown to be effective in treating chronic low back pain. These treatments are traction, biofeedback, bed rest, long-term chiropractic manipulation, facet joint injections, and epidural steroid injections, according to Larry Altshuler, M.D., in his book "Balanced Healing."

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