backandneck.about.comBack and Neck Pain: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

-- check mark-18px icon-circle-arrow-up Menu Verywell Health An Overview of Back and Neck Pain Share Flip Email Search Search Clear GO More in Back & Neck Pain Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment Living With Prevention Exercise Spinal Conditions View More Tools & Resources Thyroid Test Analyzer Doctor Discussion Guides Hemoglobin A1c Test Analyzer Lipid Test Analyzer Complete Blood Count (CBC) Analyzer Healthy Conversations Coach Renal Test Analyzer When Does an Epidemic Become a Pandemic? 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Learn about our editorial process Anne Asher, CPT Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Grant Hughes, MD on January 05, 2015 linkedin Grant Hughes, MD, is board-certified in rheumatology and is the head of rheumatology at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Learn about our Medical Review Board Grant Hughes, MD Updated on January 02, 2020 More in Back & Neck Pain Symptoms Causes & Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment Living With Prevention Exercise Spinal Conditions In This Article Table of Contents Expand Symptoms Causes Risk Factors Diagnosis Treatment View All Back To Top Neck and back pain is the experience of unpleasant sensations in one or more areas of your neck, mid and upper back, or low back. Spine pain can be brought about by any number of causes and may bring on symptoms in other areas of your body. Spine-related pain is very common, with low back pain affecting up to 80% of the population at some time in their lives. There's almost twice as much low back pain as neck pain , and the amount of low back pain and knee pain are about equal.   Symptoms There are many ways to describe spinal pain, many of which will depend on the cause. Some common ones include: Muscle ache Muscle spasm Shooting pains Pain radiating down your leg Pins and needles sensations Numbness in your leg Neck or back dysfunction (i.e., can't stand straight or twist neck) Pain gets worse with activity Pain gets better when lying down Stiffness of back or neck Loss of bowel or bladder control Recent pain is called acute , while pain lasting longer than three months is known as either chronic or persistent pain. Acute and chronic pain are treated very differently from one another. Location Back and neck pain occurs where it does because of the specific area of the spine that is affected. The location of your symptoms is often a good place to start when considering a possible cause. The neck is defined as that part of the spine extending from your first cervical vertebra (which is approximately at the level of the bottom of your earlobe) down to the seventh. The seventh cervical vertebra is located at the top of your shoulder and upper back. The mid and upper back is next, extending from just below the seventh cervical vertebra down to the bottom of the 12th thoracic vertebra, which lines up approximately with the tenth rib (the third from the bottom). The low back is the area corresponding to the lumbar spine , which starts below the 12th thoracic vertebra and extends down to the top of the sacrum bone, almost mid-way down between the two back hip bones. Sacroiliac and coccyx pain are also types of spine pain; sacroiliac pain mainly takes the form of sacroiliac joint dysfunction. The coccyx bone is your tailbone. It is the last bone of the spine; it hangs down off the bottom of the sacrum. How to Describe Your Back Pain to Your Doctor Causes With the complexity of the neck and spine, there are many causes of back and neck pain, including the following. Habits and Aging Degenerative changes in spinal structures that occur from wear and tear over tim are a very common cause of chronic back and neck pain.   These may lead to spinal osteoarthritis and possibly spinal stenosis. Osteoporosis can lead to compression fractures of the vertebrae. If the pain seems to set in slowly, it may also simply be due to habits like poor posture . Trauma or Strain An accident or trauma can lead to neck and back pain, including herniated disc, muscle sprain, ligament strain, spinal fracture, or spinal cord injury. Structural Problems The disks that cushion your vertebrae can rupture or bulge (herniate) and may press on the spinal nerves. The irritation is called radiculopathy and can result in pain, weakness, numbness and/or electrical type sensation that goes down one arm or one leg.   Arthritic (degenerative) changes in the spine, such as facet joint hypertrophy , spinal stenosis, and bone spurs may also cause these symptoms. Genetic and Congenital Conditions Genetic and congenital causes are also possible. Examples of congenital spine conditions include spina bifida and congenital torticollis (torticollis means "twisted neck"). And Scheuermann's kyphosis , a deformity that affects some teen boys, is an example of a genetic spinal condition. Scoliosis, which has some genetic underpinnings, can also cause back and neck pain. Systemic Problems More rarely, neck or back pain is caused by systemic problems such as diseases, tumors, or cysts.   Your diagnostic workup will likely include screening for " red flags ," which are signs that may cause your doctor to suspect a systemic, rather than a structural, problem. Risk Factors You may be at a higher risk for spine pain if any of the following apply: You are female You're overweight or obese You smoke You have osteoporosis You either get too much exercise or not enough   Other risk factors include a lower education level, living in an urban area, being under 50 (for neck pain) and under 65 (for low back pain), higher stress levels, and emotional difficulties (anxiety or depression). On-the-job factors play a big role in neck and back pain risk, too. If you're dissatisfied with your job, you lack support from your co-workers or bosses, or your job involves subjecting your body to vibration (for example, operating a jackhammer), you may have a higher likelihood of spine-related pain. Office workers tend to get more neck pain than do other types of workers.   Causes of Back Pain Diagnosis Your doctor will look at your medical history and do a physical exam . For mild cases that are likely to resolve on their own, that is often enough to determine the right treatment. Diagnostic imaging is such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and X-rays are done if the doctor feels the need to dig deeper. However, this full workup may be an unnecessary expense if it isn't warranted. Interestingly, a 2016 study published in the Permanente Journal found that people with public insurance got spine MRIs more frequently than those with either no insurance or private insurance. Blood tests are often done to assess general health and management of existing conditions and to uncover developing health problems or infections. Bone scans may be done to look for suspected compression fractures or tumors. If there are symptoms of radiculopathy, electromyography (EMG) nerve studies might be done. What to Expect When You Visit Your Doctor for Back Pain Treatment For acute back pain, the general guidelines are to continue your normal activities as well as you can.   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