Back Pain SmartSite ^TM

Learn about back pain

How to learn more

Taking a walk, gardening, dressing, getting in a car, and walking up stairs are activities we do every day. However, any of these become harder when your back is painful or stiff.

There are many causes of back pain. These may include arthritis, muscle strain, slipped disk, sciatica, and even infections.

At some point, you may need to see your doctor to diagnose and treat your problem.

A good first step can be to gain a clearer understanding about your pain and how it is changing your life.

To learn more on your own, you can:

Select the "Low Back Pain Basics" menu option above for more information on this subject
Take the Low Back Pain Assessment

If you have questions, please select the "Who To Contact" menu option above.

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Review Date: 4/3/2018

Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

View References:

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Furlan AD, Giraldo M, Baskwill A, Irvin E, Imamura M. Massage for low-back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(9):CD001929. PMID: 26329399 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26329399.

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Maas ET, Ostelo RW, Niemisto L, et al. Radiofrequency denervation for chronic low back pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(10):CD008572. PMID: 26495910 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26495910.

Manchikanti L, Cash KA, Pampati V, Falco FJ. Transforaminal epidural injections in chronic lumbar disc herniation: a randomized, double-blind, active-control trial. Pain Physician. 2014;17(4):E489-E501. PMID: 25054399 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25054399.

Mayer EAK, Maddela R. Interventional nonoperative management of neck and back pain. In: Steinmetz MP, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complication Avoidance, and Management. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 107.

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Back Pain SmartSite TM

Learn about back pain

How to learn more

Back Pain SmartSite ^TM