Why Your Back Hurts

Our spine specialists will determine whether your back pain is caused by a herniated or degenerated disc, spinal stenosis or just a muscle strain or sprain.

The two main causes of back pain are disc problems and pulled muscles. Possible conditions include:

• Herniated disc—A protruding disc fragment that presses against the nerves within the spinal canal. Often it hits the sciatica nerve that runs down through the leg into the foot, causing severe pain and numbness.
• Degenerated disc—A disc that has worn away. Often called degenerative disc disease, this condition may be caused by an injury, but more often results from the normal wear and tear of aging. As discs wear out, the space between your vertebrae narrows, increasing stress on the spine and putting pressure on nerves inside it. It can lead to back pain or herniated discs.
• Spinal stenosis—A narrowing of the spinal column that pinches the spinal cord and nerves, causing pain and numbness in the legs.
• Strains and sprains of the muscles surrounding the spine. These can be painful, but the pain is usually isolated in the back.
• Osteoporosis—A weakening of the bones. This can weaken the spine, causing instability and pain in the back.

Don't assume any of these conditions is causing your problem. Back pain can be traced to something as serious as heart disease, kidney infection, a tumor or an abdominal aneurysm.

To make a precise diagnosis, our spine specialists will want a complete medical history and physical examination, and probably order an X-ray, CT scan or MRI to get a detailed picture of your spine.

In some cases, they also may order a radionuclide bone scan, a nuclear imaging technique that shows blood flow to the bone and cell activity within the bone, or an EMG (electromyogram), a test to evaluate nerve and muscle function.

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