Low back pain

For a lay person:

Low back pain is pain, stiffness or aching in the lower back. Most cases come from strained muscles, ligaments or joints and improve within weeks; some keep returning or become long-term.

For a trained medical person:

Over 90% is non-specific mechanical pain. Screen for radiculopathy and for red flags: cauda equina syndrome, malignancy, infection, fracture and inflammatory spondyloarthropathy. Management of non-specific pain emphasizes staying active, exercise therapy and short-term analgesia; imaging is not routinely indicated.

In Chinese medicine:

Classed as lumbar pain (腰痛). Maciocia's cross-reference lists Kidney Yang and Kidney Yin Deficiency. Traditional texts also describe acute patterns from Cold-Damp invasion and from Qi and Blood Stagnation after strain.

When to get help: Get emergency care for numbness around the groin or buttocks, new loss of bladder or bowel control, or progressive leg weakness. See a doctor for back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer.