If you are experiencing back pain, you are not alone. 8 out of 10 people will experience back pain at one point or another in their lifetime.
Back pain can be described as acute or chronic. Most episodes of back pain last between a few days and a few weeks. This is acute pain. Any longer than 3 months and this is termed chronic back pain.
Most acute back pain is due to trauma to the back's muscles and nerves. If you can remember the start of your pain being associated with an unusual movement of the spine or lifting a heavy weight, this is usually the commonest cause of this type of injury. Often the body recovers well from these jars to the system. Small muscle tears heal up and nerves that lie around the spine, although pulled, recover in a matter of weeks.
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What is a slipped disc and have I got one?
A common cause of chronic back pain is a slipped disc.
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