Choose a symptom and answer simple questions using our physician-reviewed symptom checker to find more information on your health issue.
Did your pain begin after a fall, injury, or when you lifted an object?
Choose an option below.
Do you have numbness, burning, or electrical pain extending down the side of back of your leg?
You may have a HERNIATED DISC. You may also have SCIATICA, caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve.
Are you over 60 years, have arthritis, and are you experiencing severe pain with any movement?
You may have a FRACTURED SPINE.
Do you have pain when twisting, bending, or even sitting?
Your pain may be from MUSCLE SPASM (this can often feel like your back is “locked up”), a PULLED MUSCLE, or a HERNIATED DISC.
Do you have pain that comes and goes that may have started in your teenage years?
You may have SPONDYLOLISTHESIS, when one vertebra in the spine slips over another, or SPONDYLOSIS, a type of arthritis resulting from wear and tear of the spine.
Do you have a fever?
Do you have blood in your urine and one-sided back pain along with burning during urination?
You may have a kidney infection, such as PYELONEPHRITIS. You may also have KIDNEY STONES, which can start a kidney infection, and may cause sharp, continuous abdominal or back pain. You may also notice blood in your urine and have very painful urination with or without a fever.
Is your back stiff and sore in the morning and are other joints stiff, sore, swollen, or red?
You may have ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS, a form of arthritis that affects the spine. Other forms of ARTHRITIS can also cause back pain and stiffness.
Are you pregnant?
PREGNANCY causes stretching of the tendons (a cord of tissue connecting muscle to bone) or ligaments (tissue connecting bones to each another) around the uterus, and increases the pressure on your lower back.
Is the pain centered in the lower spine, and do you have pain down your leg? Does bending forward while walking seem to make it feel better?
You may have a HERNIATED DISC or SPINAL STENOSIS, a narrowing of the spaces within the spine.
Do you have back pain that wakes you up at night? Have you had unintentional weight loss?
You may have a serious condition, including certain types of CANCER.
See your doctor. Get plenty of rest and use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain. If your pain is severe, if you have lost feeling or movement in your legs, or if you have lost control of your bladder or bowels (incontinence), see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away.
EMERGENCY Call an ambulance right away. Do not try to drive to the emergency room, and try to move as little as possible.
Apply heat, use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, and get some rest. If you don’t get better in 2-3 days, or if your symptoms get worse, see your doctor.
See your doctor. Use anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain.
URGENT See your doctor right away.
Use an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, and apply heat to the affected area. If you do not improve, or if your pain is severe or gets worse, see your doctor.
Apply mild heat to the back only. See your doctor if the pain continues or if fever or bleeding accompanies the pain.
See your doctor for evaluation.
For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.
DISCLAIMER
Symptom Checker content is provided for informational purposes only. This tool may leverage certain generative artificial intelligence tools to generate results, but you should not rely on this tool as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health or the information provided when you use this tool, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your healthcare professional because of something you may have read using this tool or on the FamilyDoctor.org website. Use this content solely at your own risk. If you think you may have a medical emergency, dial 911.
