BACK PAIN

What Is Back Pain?

Back pain ranks second only to headaches as the most frequent pain location. More than 65 million Americans experience low back pain every year. Four out of five adults will experience at least one bout of back pain at some time in their life.

Back pain can occur for no apparent reason and at any point on your spine. The most common site for pain is your lower back because it bears the most weight and stress.

Back injuries are a common cause of disability. And even though back pain is rarely life-threatening, the annual cost in terms of lost productivity, medical expenses and workers' compensation benefits runs into the tens of billions of dollars annually in the United States.

Although back pain is common, it's also quite possible for you to prevent most back problems with simple steps such as exercise and adopting new ways to sit and stand. Even if you've injured your back before, you can learn techniques to help avoid recurrent injuries.

Causes
When to Seek Medical Advice
Screening and Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Self Care
Complementary and Alternative Medicine