Understanding Back Pain

Back pain is extremely common – about 80 percent of people are affected at some point in their lifetime, and it's more common in people over the age of 35. The spine's main support is made up of 24 vertebrae plus the sacrum and coccyx, with discs acting as shock absorbers between them.

Back pain may be acute (less than six weeks), sub-acute (six weeks to three months) or chronic (longer than three months). It's often related to a strain in one of the back's structures rather than a nerve problem, with risk factors including prolonged standing or sitting, heavy lifting, falls, stress, being overweight and poor posture.

Rarer underlying causes include fracture, osteoporosis, a slipped disc, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease and arthritis. See your GP promptly if you notice red flags such as fever, numbness, weakness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or worsening pain that spreads up the spine.