Kevin Macadaeg, MD

There are many statistics out there about the prevalence about back pain.  The most common one is that back pain will affect 80% or 8 out of 10 individuals at some point in their life. 

There are four main types of back pain.  Here is an overview:

Acute Back Pain – This is short-term severe pain which is self-limiting.  This means that the back pain will generally go away within a few weeks.  Additionally, this pain generally causes you to limit the activities causing the pain – thereby reducing the chance for tissue damage.

Chronic Back Pain – This pain is ongoing and is persistent and is usually the symptom of an underlying cause.

Nociceptive Pain – This is localized pain that is caused by tissue damage to the joints, bones or muscles.  This pain has been described as sharp, throbbing or aching.

Neuropathic Pain – This is pain that occurs as a result of nerve damage.  It has been described as tingling, burning, or a squeezing pain.  Additionally, the individual may feel a shooting type of pain.