From a sports medicine physician
Is your back pain serious, and what actually helps?
Straight answers, backed by current research. Most back pain isn’t dangerous, and most of what helps is cheap. Here’s how to tell the difference, and what to do next.
Start here
Six articles, each reviewed against current guidelines and referenced so you can check the evidence yourself.
When should you see a doctor?
The red flags that matter, sorted by how fast you need to act.
The top 8 causes of low back pain
The causes worth knowing, and why most don’t show up on an MRI.
Free guide
The 5 things I’d actually buy for a bad back (and the 10 I wouldn’t)
What’s worth your money, what isn’t, and a 15-minute routine to put it to work. Join the list and you’ll get it first, along with new articles as they’re reviewed.
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Who writes this
Drew Dahlgren, MD
Board-certified in family medicine, sports medicine and obesity medicine, with a sports medicine fellowship from the University of Michigan. Over more than 20 years in sports medicine, he served as a team physician for USA Swimming for more than a decade, and for the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Richmond.
His approach comes straight from sports medicine: get people moving again safely, and build enough strength that the next flare is smaller.
How articles here are written
Evidence first
Built on current clinical guidelines and research, with references on every article.
Dated and reviewed
Every article shows when it was last reviewed. Older pages are being rewritten.
Honest about products
Gear recommendations are things I’d suggest to a patient, and I’ll tell you what not to buy, too.
Go to the ER now if you have back pain with:
new trouble peeing or controlling your bowels, numbness between your legs or in your inner thighs, symptoms in both legs, or leg weakness that’s getting worse quickly. These can mean pressure on the nerves at the base of the spine, which needs emergency care. See the full list of red flags →
This site is for education and isn’t a substitute for care from your own clinician. See the medical disclaimer.