Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCauses of Mild to Moderate PainCauses of Severe PainChronic Pain CausesKidney-Related CausesAssociated SymptomsDiagnosis

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Causes of Mild to Moderate Pain

Causes of Severe Pain

Chronic Pain Causes

Kidney-Related Causes

Associated Symptoms

Diagnosis

Lower back paincan be a debilitating symptom, whether it is a new pain, is worsening, or is chronic. Back pain doesn’t always have a serious cause and often improves on its own or with lifestyle changes. Other times, back pain is the body’s way of telling you something isn’t right and further treatment may be needed.

Lower back pain is pain in thelumbar spine, where the spine connects to your pelvis and bears the upper body’s weight. It may present with radiating muscle aches or sharp, stabbing pains.These can extend to the hips, buttocks, or legs. You may also experience dull or achy pain or cramping of the lower back.

Lower back pain can be a symptom of many illnesses and conditions, often related to the back itself. Causes include:

This article will cover causes of low back pain based on severity, chronic back pain, kidney-related back pain, diagnosis, and more.

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A person with hand on lower back where they are experiencing pain while carrying their toddler in front

Causes of Mild to Moderate Lower Back Pain

The lumbar spine has five vertebrae that experience a lot of movement and stress, leading to the wear and tear of those tiny bones over time.Mild to moderate lower back pain has several possible causes. Some of these are more common than others. Some require medical attention, while others can be managed at home.

Such causes include:

You’re Not AloneAccording to a 2022Frontiers in Pain Researchreport, an estimated 80% of American adults have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives.

You’re Not Alone

According to a 2022Frontiers in Pain Researchreport, an estimated 80% of American adults have experienced lower back pain at some point in their lives.

Lower Back Pain When Running? Here’s Why (and How to Find Relief)

Causes of Severe Lower Back Pain

Severe lower back pain has various causes. Some of these may require immediate medical attention.

Causes of Back Pain and Treatment Options

When Does Lower Back Pain Become Chronic?

Lower back pain is either acute (short-term) or chronic.Acute lower back pain will last days to a few weeks and resolves on its own or with lifestyle changes. Chronic back pain will last more than three months and may worsen.

Conditions that can lead to chronic lower back pain include:

Many of these more serious conditions might also cause nerve compression that leads to more neurological symptoms, i.e., weakness, numbness, and tingling in the back and legs, and bowel or bladder dysfunction. Symptoms might worsen over time and require surgery to relieve pressure off the spine or spinal nerves.

Lower Left Back Pain Causes and Treatments

Lower Back Pain: Males vs. FemalesBack pain can affect anyone regardless of age or sex. However, people assigned female at birth experience back pain more frequently.Researchers suggest this may be related to hormones and body structure.Lower back pain causes common in people assigned female at birthinclude:Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)PregnancySciaticaHerniated disksDisk degenerationMuscle strainsEndometriosisDysmenorrheaPremenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD)

Lower Back Pain: Males vs. Females

Back pain can affect anyone regardless of age or sex. However, people assigned female at birth experience back pain more frequently.Researchers suggest this may be related to hormones and body structure.Lower back pain causes common in people assigned female at birthinclude:Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)PregnancySciaticaHerniated disksDisk degenerationMuscle strainsEndometriosisDysmenorrheaPremenstrual dysmorphic disorder (PMDD)

Back pain can affect anyone regardless of age or sex. However, people assigned female at birth experience back pain more frequently.Researchers suggest this may be related to hormones and body structure.

Lower back pain causes common in people assigned female at birthinclude:

Overlap Between Lower Back Pain and Kidneys

Lower back pain is sometimes related to kidney problems. Kidney problems that might lead to lower back pain include:

Understanding Kidney Pain vs. Back Pain

You may experience pain in one part of the lower back, or pain may spread throughout the back.Lower back pain can lead to pain in other areas, including the hips, buttocks, and legs.

Back pain might cause additional symptoms, including:

You should contact a healthcare provider if your lower back pain does not improve within a few weeks.

Contact a healthcare provider right away or head to your local emergency room for the following lower back symptoms:

Burning Back Pain: Causes and Relief

How to Find Out What’s Causing Your Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is a common occurrence that often resolves without needing to be under medical care. Seeing a healthcare provider for persistent or worsening back pain and back pain that presents with neurological symptoms is a good idea.

Determining the cause of back pain typically starts with the healthcare provider asking about your medical history and symptoms. They will also examine your back and ability to sit, stand, walk, and move your legs. You will be asked about your pain level on a scale of zero to 10 and how pain and other symptoms affect your ability to perform daily activities.

The physical exam and symptom history might be enough for the healthcare provider to determine what is causing your lower back pain. But if you have additional symptoms or if the pain is severe and affecting your ability to perform daily activities, more testing will be requested to rule out or confirm more severe back pain causes.

Additional testing might include:

Once a diagnosis is made, a treatment plan can start. A treatment plan for low back pain might include:

You might also consider alternative therapies, such aschiropractic care,acupuncture, andmassage, to ease back pain. Before trying any alternative therapy, you will want to let your healthcare provider know so they can advise you on the benefits and risks of the therapy.

10 Things to Stop Doing If You Have Low Back Pain

Summary

Most adults have lower back pain at some point in their lives. Back pain typically isn’t serious and often improves on its own. Other times, it may be a sign of a more concerning condition.

Common causes of lower back pain include injuries to the back muscles or vertebrae, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, infections of bones and disk areas, diseases or injury of the spinal nerves, kidney stones, or a urinary tract infection. A spinal tumor or cancer is a much rarer cause. People assigned female at birth experience back pain at higher rates than those assigned male at birth.

You should reach out to your healthcare provider for low back pain that is persistent or getting worse. Most of the time, lower back pain can be treated at home with OTC pain relievers and lifestyle changes. However, some people may need prescription therapies and physical therapy. Surgery is rarely needed to treat back pain.

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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Low back pain.Cedars-Sinai.Lumbar spine.Cedars-Sinai.Back injuries.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Back pain.Green BN, Johnson CD, Snodgrass J, Smith M, Dunn AS.Association between smoking and back pain in a cross-section of adult Americans.Cureus. 2016;8(9):e806.doi:10.7759/cureus.806Arthritis Foundation.Osteoarthritis of the back and spine.Taylor JL, Regier NG, Li Q, Liu M, Szanton SL, Skolasky RL.The impact of low back pain and vigorous activity on mental and physical health outcomes in older adults with arthritis.Front Pain Res (Lausanne). 2022;3:886985. doi:10.3389/fpain.2022.886985American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Sciatica.Harvard Health Publishing. Sciatica:Of all the nerve.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lower back pain: what could it be?American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Spinal infections.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Low back pain.Houston Methodist On Health.Lower back pain causes: 8 reasons for sudden & chronic pain.Perolat R, Kastler A, Nicot B, et al.Facet joint syndrome: from diagnosis to interventional management.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(5):773-789. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0638-xNational Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Adult spondylolisthesis in the low back.Wu A, March L, Zheng X, et al. Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.Ann Transl Med. 2020;8(6):299. doi:10.21037/atm.2020.02.175Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Is back pain a sign of kidney cancer?National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Back pain basics.UT Southwestern Medical.5 signs your back pain might be an emergency.American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Low back pain.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Low back pain.

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Cedars-Sinai.Back injuries.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Back pain.

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Arthritis Foundation.Osteoarthritis of the back and spine.

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Harvard Health Publishing. Sciatica:Of all the nerve.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Lower back pain: what could it be?

American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Spinal infections.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Low back pain.

Houston Methodist On Health.Lower back pain causes: 8 reasons for sudden & chronic pain.

Perolat R, Kastler A, Nicot B, et al.Facet joint syndrome: from diagnosis to interventional management.Insights Imaging. 2018;9(5):773-789. doi:10.1007/s13244-018-0638-x

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Spinal stenosis.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Adult spondylolisthesis in the low back.

Wu A, March L, Zheng X, et al. Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.Ann Transl Med. 2020;8(6):299. doi:10.21037/atm.2020.02.175

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.Is back pain a sign of kidney cancer?

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.Back pain basics.

UT Southwestern Medical.5 signs your back pain might be an emergency.

American Association of Neurological Surgeons.Low back pain.

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