Back Pain

Back pain is a very common problem affecting almost all individuals at some point in their lives. Back pain most commonly affects the lower back although it can be felt anywhere along the spine.

What Causes Back Pain?

Because of this complex structure it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the pain. In most cases the pain is not caused by serious damage or disease but by sprains, minor strains, minor injuries or an irritated nerve ending

What is Back Pain?

Back Pain in Pregnancy

Back Pain Research

Back Pain Treatment

Lower Back Pain Management

Living with Lower Back Pain

Causes of Lower Back Pain

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

Deskercise: Staying Fit in a Sedentary Lifestyle

Latest Back Pain News and Research

An Arm and a Leg: A health policy veteran puts 2025 in perspective

News has been coming out of Washington, D.C., since the start of the second Donald Trump administration like water out of a fire hose. It can feel impossible to stay on top of all the changes.

12 May 2025

New predictive algorithms improve early detection of undiagnosed cancers

Two new advanced predictive algorithms use information about a person's health conditions and simple blood tests to accurately predict a patient's chances of having a currently undiagnosed cancer, including hard to diagnose liver and oral cancers.

7 May 2025

New therapy targets emotional processing to manage chronic pain

A new study led by UNSW Sydney and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) shows that targeting emotional processing is key to treating and managing chronic pain.

6 May 2025

Targeting zombie cells could revolutionize chronic back pain treatment

In a preclinical study led by McGill University researchers, two drugs targeting "zombie cells" have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide.

22 Apr 2025

Africa CDC and WHO strengthen mpox response with updated strategy

Africa CDC and WHO have updated their joint Continental Response Plan for the mpox emergency as the disease continues to affect new areas.

18 Apr 2025

Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapies offer lasting relief for chronic low back pain

Researchers compare the long-term effectiveness of mindfulness and CBT among adults with opioid-treated chronic low back pain.

10 Apr 2025

Mindfulness and CBT provide long-term relief for chronic back pain

The list of treatments for low back pain is endless, but few offer relief for the one in four Americans who suffer from this persistent pain and leading cause of disability globally. More than 80% of those with chronic low back pain wished there were better treatment options.

7 Apr 2025

New guidelines recommend 2 hours of weekly exercise for postpartum women

New mums should be strongly encouraged to begin clocking up at least two hours of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity such as brisk walking and muscle strengthening exercises each week in the first three months after birth, when physically able, to improve health and well-being, say experts in a new guideline published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

26 Mar 2025

Women with premenstrual syndrome appear to find relief from symptoms with placebos

Women affected by premenstrual syndrome (PMS) appear to experience less intense and debilitating symptoms after taking placebo pills even when told they do not contain any active medication, suggests a study published in the open-access journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.

25 Mar 2025

Study finds limited effectiveness of non-surgical treatments for back pain

Only around 1 in 10 common non-surgical and non-invasive treatments for lower back pain is effective, suggests a pooled data analysis of the available research, published online in BMJ Evidence Based Medicine.

18 Mar 2025

Telemedicine adoption leads to fewer low-value medical tests

Low-value care-medical tests and procedures that provide little to no benefit to patients-contributes to excess medical spending and both direct and cascading harms to patients.

24 Feb 2025

International panel recommends avoiding spine injections for chronic pain

Spine injections should not be given to adults with chronic back pain because they provide little or no pain relief compared with sham injections, say a panel of international experts in The BMJ today.

20 Feb 2025

Epidural steroid injections may offer modest short-term pain relief for some back pain

The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) has developed a new systematic review to summarize for neurologists and other clinicians the evidence for epidural steroid injections and whether they reduce pain and disability for people with certain kinds of chronic back pain.

13 Feb 2025

Pain coping skills training reduces pain and improves quality of life for dialysis patients

People undergoing hemodialysis treatment for kidney failure often experience chronic pain related to their condition, but it can be difficult to manage with opioid medication and other conventional treatments.

31 Jan 2025

New brain biomarker identifies pain sensitivity and may predict chronic pain risk

A novel biomarker signature combining PAF and CME predicts chronic pain risk, linking brain activity to individual pain sensitivity and treatment strategies.

28 Jan 2025

Research uncovers how brain activity patterns can predict pain sensitivity

In an international effort, researchers at Western University, the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) uncovered how specific patterns in brain activity can predict an individual's sensitivity to pain, expanding opportunities for improved pain management strategies.

27 Jan 2025