Back pain can be classified according to the location of the pain. Therefore, it is of two types, upper back pain and lower back pain.

Back pain in the low back or lower back pain is a common complaint and common concern. It affects people of all ages and oftentimes, despite repeated analysis and examination, no cause for this pain in the lower back can be found. Lower back pain affects a large number of people and figures for the USA reveal that 90% will have an episode of pain in the lower back at some time or the other in their lives.

Lower back pain is not in itself a disease. Rather it is a condition or a symptom of other problems. It has been found that the number of persons visiting doctors, hospitals and emergency centers in hospitals is almost as large as the numbers seeking consultation for the common cold. In other words, pain in the lower back seems to be a fairly common problem of undetermined causes.

Back pain in the lower back has been found to improve after two months with rest, and treatment. In fact, even if lower back pain is left untreated, it seems to improve over a similar period, that is, two months. This is also the case with lower back pain that is caused by irritation to the nerve roots.

Pain in the lower back is described as either acute, sub acute or chronic. If the pain in the lower back has been present for about a month, it is considered acute. If lower back pain has been present for longer than a month, doctors refer to it as chronic.

Lower back pain sufferers often undergo surgical procedures when the pain can be cured using other therapies. However, since pain in the lower back is disabling and causes acute discomfort, patients often opt for surgery without considering other options that are non-invasive. This is usually due to the fact that patients often visit the doctor only after the pain has become chronic. Chronic pain in the lower back causes immense distress and sufferers are seeking relief and therefore prefer surgical procedures.

Lower back pain in younger people, especially adolescents generally develops due to sports injuries and inflammations caused during sporting activities. At this time in life, people are generally active and tend to overdo sports and therefore cause distress to the lower back resulting in pain in the lower back of an acute nature.

Lower back pain is sometimes a symptom masking other disorders of the intra-abdominal area. Pain due to illness in other organs may be felt in the back. Doctors call this type of pain referred pain. Referred pain includes back pain arising from kidney related disorders and pains.

The kidneys are a pair of organs located on either side in the abdominal area. The functions of the kidney include flushing out toxic waste from the body in the form of urine. However pain arising from kidney ailments manifesting as back pain is rather different from back pain of other kinds.

Pain stemming from kidney infection or disorders is usually felt as back pain in the area of the back where the kidneys are located, that is, on either side of the spinal cord. The area around this region will tend to develop tenderness if back pain arises due to infection causing kidney pain.

“Kidney Punch” or injury to the kidney due to accident or injury is also felt in the back, around the kidney area. Kidney pain can be quite tricky to diagnose as it manifests as pain in other parts, and also as back pain. However, back pain as a cause of kidney disorder follows a pattern that makes it paradoxically simple to detect.

Kidney pain experienced as lower back pain or back pain is generally acute in nature and arises rapidly. It also subsides quickly as soon as the infection related to the kidney is alleviated, or if it is due to kidney stone, the pain will subside as soon as the stone is passed out through the urinary tract. On the other hand, back pain resulting from trauma or injury to the lower back takes relatively longer to heal.

Kidney pain may sometimes disguise itself as back pain. However, it must be remembered that a qualified medical practitioner knows exactly how to gently push the area directly over the kidney. If it is back pain, the pain will not get worse, on the other hand if it is kidney related, the sufferer will feel worse when this area is gently manipulated.

Back pain due to kidney disease will also be accompanied by other indications, such as pain while urinating, fever and chills and at times, blood in the urine.

As a precautionary measure, if back pain is not the result of a sports or other injury, doctors do take the precaution of putting back pain sufferers through tests to determine whether the person is suffering from kidney related illnesses or not. Investigation is complex and includes the patient’s medical history, physical examination, and other imaging procedures such as x-ray and MRI.

A vast majority of lower back pain sufferers generally improve with conservative treatment. This involves using a range of pain killers; and this is usually the first step. Acute or chronic pain is sometimes relieved with the use of muscle relaxants.

Doctors may suggest a set of exercises to relieve the strain on the lower back or to strengthen the back and abdominal muscles. Spinal Manipulation (SM) therapies and physical therapies are also recommended by doctors. Yoga of different types and acupuncture and acupressure have also been cited as possible remedies for pain in the lower back.

However, these therapies are generally followed in cases where the lower back pain is of non-specified nature. Lower back pain may also be a more serious condition of injury or damage or degeneration of the musculoskeletal system. These may include fractures due to osteoporosis. Rheumatoid arthritis, Osteoarthritis, degeneration of the discs, or herniated discs may also cause lower back pain.

Conditions that do not respond to conservative treatments may have to be treated by surgery. Also, surgery is considered to be required if the back problem becomes progressively worse resulting in weakness in the legs, incontinence of the bladder or bowels. In cases when the resulting severe back pain causes the sufferer to become dysfunctional or non-functional, doctors will be more inclined to try surgical procedures.

Most people experience back pain at some time or the other in their lives. Back pain is not usually a serious condition and tends to subside within a short duration. However, pain that persists or resists response to pain medication may need to be investigated.

Low back pain or lower back pain is the most common of all back pains. It is usually caused due to straining of the muscles. Relaxing back rubs and some much needed rest usually alleviates this condition.

Low pack pain that persists over a longer duration, that does not respond to simple remedies and in fact, causes growing distress could be the outward manifestation of more serious conditions.

One cause of low back pain is kidney back pain. Kidney back pain occurs if there is kidney inflammation, kidney infection, kidney stones or other kidney related disorders. However, kidney back pain will not be just back pain in the lower back. It will be accompanied by other factors that cause discomfort. For example, kidney back pain has a sudden onset, and the pain is likened to the pain of childbirth in intensity. No amount of heating pads or back rubs will reduce this pain. It will only respond to appropriate treatment and it dissipates just as suddenly as it appears. It may be accompanied by fevers, chills, nausea and vomiting, and the back around the kidney region will be sore and tender and rather painful.

Another kind of low back pain is described as neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain occurs is there is stress on the system of nerves in the lower back region. The stress on the nerves here could be due to lower back injury, inflammation of the nerve paths or even compression of the nerves in the lower back, especially of the sciatic nerve. Sciatic nerve pain begins in the lower back area, and radiates down the buttocks into the leg sometimes extending into the foot. The sufferer may experience numbness, tingling and difficulty in standing and moving around. Sciatic pain generally occurs on one side of the body.

Low back pain of neuropathic nature may also result due to herniated or bulging discs. Due to wear and tear the discs in the spine tend to weaken and become worn out. Discs may become herniated and begin to bulge, with the result that the back is under severe pressure and stress. Low back pain may also be the result of arthritis or other spinal disorders.

Upper back pain can be extremely distressing. Upper back pain usually occurs in the area from the base of the neck to the area at the top of the lumbar region. Pain in this area can be due to stress and anxiety. In cases of stress, the neck will experience strain, radiating across the shoulder blades. Similar experience for the sufferer results from fatigue, tiredness and overexertion. Sports injuries and muscle strains also cause upper back pain. In some cases upper back pain, like lower back pain, may indicate spondylitis, herniated discs and bulging discs. However, these more serious conditions are always of a longer duration, do not respond to rest and simple therapies and are accompanied by other conditions such as pain in the neck, nausea, tingling and numbness and even weakness that radiates into the limbs. Sharp upper back pain, with difficulty in breathing is sometimes due to aneurysms or also due to problems in the pleurae.

Aside from the fact that mid back pain is a classic condition of pregnancy, middle back pain will also occur due to stress and tiredness. One more reason for middle back pain or thoriac pain is muscular exertion and fatigue. Middle back pain is most likely to be poor posture, lack of exercise and strained ligaments. Accidenta also injure the nid back region and scoliosis and other spinal condition disorders will cause pain in the middle back region