Back Pain

Back pain is a very common problem affecting almost all individuals at some point in their lives. Back pain most commonly affects the lower back although it can be felt anywhere along the spine.

What Causes Back Pain?

Because of this complex structure it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the pain. In most cases the pain is not caused by serious damage or disease but by sprains, minor strains, minor injuries or an irritated nerve ending

What is Back Pain?

Back Pain in Pregnancy

Back Pain Research

Back Pain Treatment

Lower Back Pain Management

Living with Lower Back Pain

Causes of Lower Back Pain

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Deskercise: Staying Fit in a Sedentary Lifestyle

Latest Back Pain News and Research

Qigong shows promise in reducing chronic back pain in veterans

Chronic pain is widespread in the United States, particularly among military veterans, affecting between 40 to 70% of this population and serving as a leading cause of disability.

17 Jan 2025

Lifestyle support shows promise in reducing chronic back pain disability

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide with many treatments, such as medication, often failing to provide lasting relief.

15 Jan 2025

Wait times for neurological specialty care vary across conditions

Older people wait an average of just over a month to see a neurologist for specialty care after being referred by their primary care physician or another physician, according to a study published in the January 8, 2025, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

8 Jan 2025

Anhedonia: The hidden psychological toll of deep endometriosis

Nearly 30% of women with deep endometriosis experience reduced pleasure sensitivity (anhedonia), linked to chronic pelvic pain, highlighting overlooked psychological consequences of this condition.

6 Jan 2025

Study highlights gaps in current health programs for truck drivers

It might seem out of place on the side of a highway, but purpose-built exercise equipment installed at truck stops across Australia could be just the thing to encourage truck drivers to take a break and take control of their health and wellbeing.

4 Dec 2024

Homebound seniors living alone often slip through health system’s cracks

Carolyn Dickens, 76, was sitting at her dining room table, struggling to catch her breath as her physician looked on with concern.

2 Dec 2024

NSAIDs raise bleeding risk in patients taking blood thinners

People who take an anticoagulant medicine double their risk of an internal bleed if they take a type of painkiller called a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) such as ibuprofen, diclofenac or naproxen, according to research published in the European Heart Journal [1] today (Monday).

18 Nov 2024

Prenatal cannabis exposure linked to increased risk of opioid addiction later in life

With the increased legalization of recreational cannabis, as many as 1 in 5 pregnant women in the U.S. are now using the drug to help with morning sickness, lower back pain or anxiety.

14 Nov 2024

Michigan study finds virtual care does not lead to wastage of healthcare resources

Before 2024 ends, Congress will decide whether to keep or change rules about telehealth, or let them expire. And even though the decision will focus on Medicare's payment for virtual patient care, it will likely impact telehealth access for people with other kinds of health insurance too.

7 Nov 2024

Virtual yoga program shows promise for chronic low back pain relief

Cleveland Clinic researchers found that a 12-week therapeutic virtual yoga program for chronic low back pain can be a feasible, safe and effective treatment option. The findings are published in JAMA Network Open.

1 Nov 2024

Patient symptom information enhances MRI accuracy for lumbar spine diagnosis

Knowing a patient's symptoms helps radiologists in lumbar spine MRI interpretation and diagnosis, according to a study published today in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

29 Oct 2024

Are back problems influenced by your gut?

Findings suggest gut microbiome dysbiosis may influence lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis, impacting inflammation and pain management strategies.

25 Oct 2024

It's official! Men and women experience and manage pain differently

Researchers uncover sex-specific pain management mechanisms, revealing men rely on endogenous opioids while women use alternative pathways for pain relief.

21 Oct 2024

Understanding how men and women process pain differently

In a new study evaluating meditation for chronic lower back pain, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have discovered that men and women utilize different biological systems to relieve pain.

16 Oct 2024

Exploring AI's role in transforming healthcare diagnosis and treatment

How artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionize he way healthcare providers diagnose, treat and prevent medical conditions will be explored in the first inaugural lecture of 2024-25 to be held at Aston University on Wednesday 23 October 2024 at 1800 hrs.

14 Oct 2024

New study links persistent SARS-CoV-2 proteins to long COVID symptoms

Brigham researchers found people with wide-ranging long COVID symptoms were twice as likely to have SARS-CoV-2 proteins in their blood, compared to those without long COVID symptoms.

9 Oct 2024

Reducing sedentary time found effective in preventing worsening back pain

A new study from the University of Turku in Finland showed that reducing daily sitting prevented back pain from worsening over six months.

2 Oct 2024

New study finds no bias in opioid treatment suggestions by AI models

A new study from Mass General Brigham researchers provides evidence that large language models (LLMs), used for generative artificial intelligence (AI), ChatGPT-4 and Google's Gemini, demonstrated no differences in suggested opioid treatment regimens for different races or sexes.

16 Sep 2024

Addressing the physical health risks related to excessive video gaming

Gaming is a popular activity, especially for young people – and with summer drawing to a close, more and more children may be opting to spend time playing video games as opposed to enjoying time outdoors.

6 Sep 2024

Telehealth mindfulness interventions significantly improve chronic pain outcomes for veterans

Scalable telehealth mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) effectively improve pain-related function and biopsychosocial outcomes in veterans with chronic pain compared to standard care. The study confirms that low-cost, non-pharmacological treatments like MBIs can be accessible and beneficial via telehealth platforms.

25 Aug 2024