Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting 80% of people at some point in their lives. In Canada it is the most common cause of disability, a leading contributor to missed work, and the second most common neurological ailment (See reference 1).
What causes low back pain? The vast majority of low back pain episodes are the result of musculoskeletal problems, and are referred to as non specific low back pain. This type may be due to muscle, ligament or joint sprains or strains. However, there are also many non-musculoskeletal causes of low back pain that may or may not require medical care. For this reason, if you are experiencing back pain that is not going away on its own, a visit to your healthcare provider is very important.
1 National Institute of Health. “Lower Back Pain Fact Sheet. nih.gov”. Retrieved 2012-03-16. (http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/backpain/detail_backpain.ht2)
2 Hestbaek L, Leboeuf-Yde C, Manniche C. Low back pain: what is the long-term course? A review of studies of general patient populations. Eur Spine J. 2003;12(2):149-65.