Back Pain: Causes, Prevention and Treatment
Almost everyone has back pain at some point. It might come from helping a friend move, a weekend game, a long week at a desk, or arthritis that shows up with age. Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and one of the most common reasons people miss work or see a doctor.
The good news is that most back pain isn’t caused by anything serious, and most of it gets better with time, movement and a few changes to daily habits. Knowing what’s behind your pain, and what actually helps, makes a big difference.
This site is written by Dr. Drew Dahlgren, a sports medicine physician. Here you’ll find plain-language explanations of what causes back and neck pain, how it’s treated, and how to keep it from coming back.
Where to start
- Articles: causes of upper and lower back pain, sciatica, stress, weight and exercise.
- About: who’s behind this site and why.
- Contact: a question or a topic you’d like covered.
When to see a doctor right away: loss of bladder or bowel control, numbness in the groin or inner thighs, leg weakness that is getting worse, fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, or pain after a fall or accident. This site is for education and isn’t a substitute for care from your own clinician. See our medical disclaimer.