Back pain - What are the symptoms?
In this section
The symptoms of back pain vary, and it is not always easy to find out what is causing them.
Common symptoms
Here are some common symptoms and what they may mean.
Aches, spasm and stiffness
You may have painful muscle spasms in your back. (Muscle spasms are when your muscles tighten on their own). These are very common, as your back has a network of muscles and nerves that can easily be strained or torn.[3] The pain may be a constant dull ache, or it may be sharp and burn when you move around. Your back may be tender when you touch it.
Pain, tingling, weakness or numbness in one of your legs
This type of pain is sometimes called sciatica.[2] It's usually caused by a damaged disc pressing on nerves that join up with your sciatic nerves. Your sciatic nerves are the main nerves in your legs. You have one sciatic nerve running down each of your legs.
Even though the problem is in your back, you might feel more pain in one of your legs. The pain may feel like it is travelling all the way from the top of your leg to your foot. This pain might get worse when you cough or sneeze, or when your lift things. Or, it might hurt more when you sit or stand in particular positions.[4]
If you don't have sciatica, you may still have a damaged disc. We've called this condition a slipped disc because that's the name that most people know. To learn more, see our articles on Slipped disc.
Finding it difficult to move
Putting up with the pain is hard enough, but it can be even more frustrating when it stops you from doing your normal activities. It's worth talking to your doctor about this. To find out why you have the pain, your doctor should investigate which of your movements are restricted by your pain and which ones aren't.[5]
Symptoms that mean you need to see a doctor
High fever
If you have a high fever with your pain, let your doctor know because you may have an infection.[1]
Pain when you are resting
If you find that you still have pain at night when you're lying down, or if the pain gets worse at night, tell your doctor. Pain at night is a very common symptom of back problems, but there is a very small chance that you could have a tumour.[2] This is more likely if you have had cancer before. Make sure your doctor knows your complete medical history.[1]
Warning signs of something more serious
If you have very bad back pain and you also lose control of your bowel or bladder (you can't control when you need to go to the toilet), or if your arms or legs feel numb or weak, you need to see a doctor urgently.
You may have a damaged disc that is pressing on your spinal cord (doctors call this spinal cord compression). Or a damaged disc could be pressing on the nerves that run down from the bottom of the spinal cord. Doctors call these nerves the cauda equina. If these nerves are being damaged, it's called cauda equina syndrome.
We haven't looked at treatments for spinal cord compression or cauda equina syndrome. But they are medical emergencies. If you have these symptoms, you may need urgent surgery to relieve the pressure on the affected nerves.
References
- Deyo RA, Weinstein JN. Low back pain. New England Journal of Medicine. 2001; 344: 363-370.
- Jenner JR, Barry M. ABC of rheumatology: low back pain. BMJ. 1995; 310: 929-932.
- Frymoyer JW. Back pain and sciatica. New England Journal of Medicine. 1988; 318: 291-300.
- Engstrom JW. Back and neck pain. In: Braunwald E, Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's principles of internal medicine. 15th edition. New York, U.S.A.; 2001.
- Cedraschi C, Robert J, et al. Is chronic non-specific low back pain chronic? Definitions of a problem and problems of a definition. British Journal of General Practice. 1999; 49: 358-362.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved
This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
