Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Back pain
Back pain
This booklet provides information
and answers to your questions
about this condition.
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Arthritis Research UK
Back pain
What’s inside?
2 Back pain at a glance
4 What is back pain? 18 How are back problems
diagnosed?
5 How is the back structured? – What tests are there?
6 What causes back pain? 19 What treatments are there
8 Should I see a doctor? for back pain?
– What are the warning signs – Physical therapies
of a serious problem? – Drugs
8 What can I do to help myself? – Steroid injections
– Painkillers – Surgery
– Exercise 21 What if my back pain is affecting
– Posture my work?
– Complementary medicine 22 Research and new
– Lifting correctly developments
– Diet and nutrition 23 Glossary
– Heat/ice packs
24 Where can I find out more?
– Pain management programmes
28 We’re here to help
15 What is the outlook?
17 Why does back pain
become chronic?
At a glance
Back Back
painpain is common but isn’t usually caused by a
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Back pain
Cervical spine
Thoracic spine
Lumbar spine
Sacroiliac joint
Coccyx
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Back pain
How is the back the facet joints. The spinal cord passes
structured? inside the vertebrae, which protect it. The
The spine, also called the backbone or spinal cord connects to the brain through
spinal column, is one of the strongest the base of the skull and to the rest of the
parts of the body and gives us a great body by nerves that pass through spaces
deal of flexibility and strength (see Figure between the bones of the spine. These
1). It’s made up of 24 bones (vertebrae), nerves are also known as nerve roots (see
one sitting on top of the other with discs Figure 2).
in between and lots of strong ligaments As you grow older, the structures of
and muscles around them for support. On your spine, such as the joints, discs and
either side of the spine, running from top ligaments, age as well. The structures
to bottom, are many small joints called remain strong but it’s usual for your
back to get stiffer as you get older.
Skull
Spine
Spinal cord (passes inside the vertebrae)
Facet joint
Vertebra
Nerve roots from spinal cord to arm Disc
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tear of the spine can cause pain as we age,
always a problem.
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UK
Figure 3
Rupture or
bulge of a
vertebral disc
Disc herniation –
a rupture and/or
bulge, pushing on
nerve roots
Disc
Spinal nerve
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Spinal stenosis
Sometimes back pain is linked with Should I see a doctor?
pain in the legs which starts after a few Unless your back pain is very severe
minutes’ walking and tends to get better and lasts for a very long period of
very quickly when you sit down. This is time, or stops you doing your everyday
known as spinal stenosis. This can happen activities, you probably won’t need to see
from birth or develop as we get older your doctor. Only about 10% of all people
and causes the spinal canal or nerve root who have back pain go to see their
canal to become squeezed by bone or doctor, despite the fact that most people
ligament. Symptoms often affect both are likely to have more than one episode
legs but one may be worse than the other. of back pain.
The pain usually eases when you sit down
and rest, and some people have less What are the warning signs
discomfort if they walk a little stooped. of a serious problem?
Like sciatica, the main problem tends Very rarely (less than 1% of cases) back
to be leg pain more than the back pain. pain or back pain that travels down
the leg is a sign of a serious problem.
In most cases, neither sciatica nor You should see your doctor urgently
spinal stenosis are causes for alarm, if you experience any of the
but if the symptoms cause you a lot of following symptoms:
trouble and greatly affect your quality
• difficulty controlling or passing urine
of life then you should see your doctor
for further advice and to discuss what • loss of control of your bowels
else can be done. • numbness around your back
passage or your genitals
Other rarer causes of back • weakness in your legs or
pain include: being unsteady on your feet
• bone problems such as a fracture
• very severe and ongoing back pain that
– often linked to thinning of the gets worse over several weeks.
bones (osteoporosis)
• an infection
• a tumour What can I do to
• inflammation, such as help myself?
in ankylosing Painkillers
spondylitis.
Simple painkillers such as paracetamol
(an analgesic) may help. You should
See Arthritis Research UK booklets use them as and when you need them
Ankylosing spondylitis; Osteoporosis. but it’s best to take them before the
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Back pain
pain becomes very bad. It’s important possible period of time. NSAIDs can
that you take them regularly and at the cause digestive problems (stomach
recommended dose, especially when upsets, indigestion or damage to the
you’re having a flare-up of your back pain lining of the stomach) so in most cases
but you shouldn’t take them more often NSAIDs will be prescribed along with a
than every four hours up to a maximum drug called
of eight tablets in 24 hours. Non-steroidal a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), which will
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as help to protect the stomach.
ibuprofen, which you can buy at chemists NSAIDs also carry an increased risk of
and supermarkets, can also help. heart attack or stroke. Although the
You can use painkillers and NSAIDs for a increased risk is small, your doctor will
short course of treatment of about a week be cautious about prescribing NSAIDs if
to 10 days. If they’ve not helped after this there are other factors that may
time then they’re unlikely to. However, if increase your overall risk, for example,
they do help but the pain returns when high blood pressure, smoking or
you stop taking them you could try diabetes.
another short course. You can also try Sometimes other drugs are used to treat
rubbing anti-inflammatory creams or gels back pain if you’re really struggling with
your symptoms. See ‘What treatments are
there for back pain?’ for more information.
onto affected areas.
You shouldn’t take ibuprofen or aspirin the lowest effective dose for the shortest
if you’re pregnant, if you smoke, or if you 10
have asthma, indigestion or an ulcer until
you’ve spoken with your doctor or
pharmacist. If you have circulation
problems, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol or diabetes, you should check
with your doctor or pharmacist whether
you should use over-the-counter NSAIDs
because they may interact with any
medication you’re taking. If you have
stomach problems after using over-the-
counter medication, you should stop
taking the tablets and see your doctor.
If these medications don’t help, your GP
may be able to prescribe other painkillers.
If they prescribe stronger NSAIDs, they’ll
take precautions to reduce the risk of
side-effects – for example, by prescribing
See Arthritis Research UK drug
leaflets Drugs and arthritis;
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs (NSAIDs); Painkillers
(analgesics).
Exercise
Physical activity is good for everybody
and too much rest can lead to stiffness
in your muscles and joints. Our bodies
are built for movement and you need
regular physical activity to remain fit
and healthy. Research shows that bed
rest for more than a couple of days
doesn’t help back pain and in the long
term actually makes it worse.
Exercise is the most important way that
you can help yourself if you have back
pain. If you stop being active for a long
time, the muscles in your back become
Arthritis Research UK
Back pain
RIGHT
WRONG ✗ Figure 4
✓ Right and
wrong posture
when driving
ted at a desk: Adjust the chair or table, and position of the computer screen, so that you don’t have to sl
d at a desk
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See Arthritis Research UK booklets
Diet and nutrition
and report Complementary and There are no special diets that have been
alternative medicine for arthritis; shown either to help or prevent back
Physiotherapy and arthritis. pain. However, if you’re overweight you
should consider changing your diet and
doing some regular exercise to help you
Lifting correctly lose weight as this will reduce the strain
Learning to lift correctly is important to on your back.
help prevent further episodes of back pain.
Avoid heavy lifting if you can. Planning and See Arthritis Research UK booklet
pacing are important – think about what Diet and arthritis.
you need to do and see if you can do it in
stages. Bend your knees when lifting and
Heat/ice packs
allow your spine to move as necessary,
Applying a heat pack to the affected
without twisting it. When doing tasks like
area can ease pain and stiffness. You can
carrying shopping, try and split the load
use a reusable heat pad (which you can
between both hands. Keeping the weight
buy from chemists and sports shops), a
close to your body also helps.
microwaveable wheat bag or a hot-water
bottle. An ice pack (for example, a pack
See Arthritis Research UK booklet
Looking after your joints when you have arthritis.
Arthritis Research UK
Back pain
Gradually
increase your
level of activity
and do some
regular exercise.
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Arthritis Research UK
Back pain
Why does back pain become will be more vulnerable to further strain.
chronic? This is known as deconditioning.
Often we don’t know why someone has You may also lose confidence in your
chronic back pain. Even if a cause can be ability to resume your everyday activities.
found (such as a worn facet joint or disc) This may affect your work, social life and
the pain may continue after the original personal relationships. You may feel
problem has settled down. worried or depressed, particularly if family
When you’re in pain for a long time your members and medical professionals
first thought may be to avoid normal appear unhelpful or unsympathetic.
activities and movement. But we know If you’re anxious or depressed you may
that lack of activity can cause the back not feel like exercising, so your muscles
muscles to become weak. This will mean become weaker still, and so it goes
that your muscles will tire more easily and on. This creates a pain cycle, as seen
in Figure 6.
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This can happen to anyone, and the a simple examination, and it’s unlikely
longer it goes on the harder it’ll be for that any special tests will be needed.
you to recover your movement and
confidence. So it’s really important to What tests are there?
keep up with exercise and daily activities You may be sent for tests if you’ve had
as much as possible. an injury to your back, if your doctor
suspects that there may be an underlying
cause for your pain, or if the pain has
How are back problems lasted for an unusually long time. In this
diagnosed? case a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
National guidelines suggest that scan or computerised tomography (CT)
doctors should use a common-sense scan may be needed.
‘wait and see’ approach when Rarely, you may be asked to have an x-ray.
diagnosing back pain before deciding if However, these aren’t often helpful for
you need further treatment, especially two reasons:
as most cases of back pain improve by
themselves. As a patient this approach 1. Most back pain involves the soft tissues
can sometimes be frustrating, but you of the back (such as the muscles or
may find that if you keep up your self- ligaments) and these can’t be seen
help measures you won’t need further on an x-ray.
treatment anyway. 2. Some wear-and-tear changes in the
bones and joints of the back are
Should you need further treatment,
common as we age, and although these
your GP will be able to assess your back
changes can be seen on an x-ray, they’re
pain by discussing your symptoms with
not often related to back pain. Lots of
you. Most problems can be diagnosed
people who don’t have back pain still
after
show these changes on x-ray.
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Back pain
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Back pain
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Back pain
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Back pain
Notes
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We’re here to help
Arthritis Research UK is the charity
education news, highlighting key
leading the fight against arthritis.
projects that we’re funding and giving
We’re the UK’s fourth largest medical insight into the latest treatment and
research charity and fund scientific and self-help available.
medical research into all types of arthritis
We often feature case studies and
and musculoskeletal conditions.
have regular columns for questions
We’re working to take the pain away and answers, as well as readers’ hints
for sufferers with all forms of arthritis and tips for managing arthritis.
and helping people to remain active.
We’ll do this by funding high-quality
research, providing information
and campaigning.
Everything we do is underpinned
by research.
We publish over 60 information booklets
which help people affected by arthritis
to understand more about the condition,
its treatment, therapies and how
to help themselves.
We also produce a range of separate
leaflets on many of the drugs used
for arthritis and related conditions.
We recommend that you read the
relevant leaflet for more detailed
information about your medication.
Please also let us know if you’d like
to receive our quarterly magazine,
Arthritis Today, which keeps you up
to date with current research and
Tell us what you think
Please send your views to: or write to us at:
Arthritis Research UK, Copeman House, St Mary’s Court, St Mary’s Gate, Chesterfie
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Get involved
You can help to take the pain away
from millions of people in the UK by:
• volunteering
• supporting our campaigns
• taking part in a fundraising event
• making a donation
• asking your company to support us
• buying products from our online
and high-street shops.
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Registered Charity England and Wales No. 207711, Scotland No. SC041156
© Arthritis Research UK 2011
Published May 2014 2002/BACK/14-1
Exercises
for back pain
This handy tear-off section contains
exercises that are designed to stretch,
strengthen and stabilise the structures that
support your back.
Stretching 1
exercises
5
One-leg stand – back (stretches hamstrings)
Steady yourself, then put one leg up on a
chair. Keeping your raised leg straight, bend
the supporting knee forward
to stretch your hamstrings. Repeat three times Knee to chest (stretches muscles of
each side. Please note: For those with acute bottom – gluteals) Lie on your back. Bring
sciatica this hamstring stretch may also pull one knee up and pull it gently into your
on the sciatic nerve, making it feel worse. chest for five seconds. Repeat for up to five
If in doubt, ask a physiotherapist if this times each side.
exercise is suitable for you.
Strength
and stabilising 1
exercises
Pelvic tilt (works the deep muscles around the pelvis) Lie
down with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach muscles,
flattening your back against the floor. Hold for five seconds.
Repeat five times.
2 3
4 5
Deep stomach muscle tone (stabilises Back stabiliser Kneel on all fours with your
lower back) Kneel on all fours with a back straight. Tighten your stomach.
small curve in your lower back. Let your Keeping your back in this position,
stomach relax completely. Pull the lower raise one arm in front of you and hold
part of your stomach upwards so that for 10 seconds. Try to keep your pelvis
you lift your back (without arching it) level and don’t rotate your body. Repeat
away from the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. 10 times each side. To progress, try lifting
Keep breathing! Repeat 10 times. one leg behind you instead of your arm.
Keeping active
with back pain
It’s important to keep active – research
shows that bed rest for more than a couple
of days can actually make your back pain
worse. As well as the simple exercises
in this pull-out, you should choose a
form of exercise you enjoy and stick at
it. Swimming, walking, yoga and Pilates
are all great options if you have back
pain.
Remember to keep exercising regularly,
even after your back pain has cleared up!
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