Back Pain - Symptoms - Better Medicine

What symptoms might occur with back pain?

Back pain may occur with other symptoms depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. For instance, if your back pain is due to arthritis, you may experience pain in other parts of your body. Back pain due to a pinched nerve can even lead to loss of bladder control. Back pain is often a major symptom of fibromyalgia, which is also characterized by fatigue and sleep problems. The range of symptoms that may accompany back pain include:

Anxiety
Depression
Fatigue
Fever
Headache
Morning back stiffness
Pain through the buttocks and down one leg to below the knee
Redness, warmth, or swelling of the back
Shoulder, neck, or hip pain
Sleep disturbance

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, back pain may occur with other symptoms that might indicate a serious or life-threatening condition, such as a heart attack or cauda equina syndrome (when the nerves in the spinal cord are compressed or paralyzed, cutting off sensation and movement).

Back pain that occurs with any of the following symptoms should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting:

Abdominal pain
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Jaw pain
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Progressive weakness and numbness in the legs

INTRODUCTION

What is back pain?

Back pain is any type of pain or discomfort throughout the posterior (back) portion of your trunk, from the pelvis up through the neck. (However, most people who have pain around their neck would describe it as neck pain, not back pain.) Back pain is a very common problem in the United States, second only to Read more about back pain introduction

CAUSES

What causes back pain?

Understanding the parts that make up your back and how it works can help you understand why you have back pain. Your back is made up of bony structures called vertebrae that surround and protect the spinal cord. Within the spinal cord run nerve roots from the brain that send and receive messages to and from the rest of the body. Between the vertebrae are spongy sacs of cartilage, called discs, that act as a cushion and provide range of motion to the back. Muscles, ligaments and tendons provide additional support.... Read more about back pain causes

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