Back pain - low

Low back pain from any cause usually involves spasms of the large, supportive muscles alongside the spine. The muscle spasm and stiffness accompanying back pain can feel particularly uncomfortable.

You are at particular risk for low back pain if you:

• Work in construction or another job requiring heavy lifting, lots of bending and twisting, or whole body vibration (like truck driving or using a sandblaster)
• Have bad posture
• Are pregnant
• Are over age 30
• Smoke, don't exercise, or are overweight
• Have arthritis or osteoporosis
• Have a low pain threshold
• Feel stressed or depressed

• Bladder infection
• Kidney stone
• Endometriosis
• Ovarian cancer
• Ovarian cysts
• Testicular torsion (twisted testicle)

Rakel D. Low Back Pain. In:Integrative Medicine. Elsevier; 2003:423-431.

Sierpina VS, Curtis P, Doering J.An Integrative Approach To Low Back Pain. Clin Fam Pract. 2002; 4(4); 817.

US Preventative Services Task Force. Primary Care Interventions to Prevent Low Back Pain: Brief Evidence Update. Rockville, MD:Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; February 2004.

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