Acute and Chronic Pain
Sutter Spine Services
Two out of three adults experience neck or back pain at least one time in their lives. Most back pain is not serious and usually goes away with conservative care. When neck or back pain disrupts your life, it's important to see your primary care doctor to diagnose the source of the pain and establish a plan of treatment, either through your doctor's care or referral to a spine specialist. While it's not common for back pain to signal a serious illness, it is wise to rule out any underlying health conditions.
Back pain falls under three general categories, each with specific causes and treatments:
Generalized back pain is pain that seems to have no specific source point and is typically a dull or aching sensation throughout all or a large area of the spine and neck. In some cases, the cause is as simple as carrying too much weight for your spine to support easily. Other causes include fibromyalgia, radiating pain from disc conditions, arthritis and osteoporosis.
Lower (lumbar) back pain is one of our country's most common physical challenges. The pain can result from a number of causes, some that will resolve with simple home care, others requiring medical intervention.
Neck (cervical) pain is often the result of compressed nerves caused by a number of reasons, including ruptured or compressed discs, calcium buildups that narrow the spinal cord pathway, repetitive use injuries or misalignment of the vertebrae.
Back and neck pain falls into two types: acute and chronic. The sections on each below also contain links to detailed condition information from our Healthwise information section.
Acute Pain
Acute back or neck pain typically lasts less than three months. Acute pain may come on suddenly and often follows an injury or illness. Sudden back pain can also be a symptom of a serious condition, such as a heart attack, aortic aneurysm or appendicitis. If the pain is severe, seek immediate care by calling 9-1-1. Less critical medical conditions that require timely medical care may also cause back pain, including kidney stones or shingles.
If you are experiencing acute or recurrent back pain, it's wise to schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor as quickly as possible to find out the cause of any acute pain and extent of any damage.
Acute pain health information
Our Healthwisehealth information section contains more information on acute back pain and its possible causes. To find out about spine and neck conditions that can cause acute pain, see herniated disc, cervical disc herniation, sciatica, sprain, strain, cauda equina syndrome, spinal stenosis, cervical spinal stenosis, back injuries, low back pain, neck problems and injuries, neck pain and back problems and injuries. For information on medical causes requiring emergency care, see heart attack, aortic aneurysm, meningitis, or appendicitis. Other medical conditions that can cause acute back or neck pain are discussed under gallstones, kidney stones, and shingles.
Chronic Pain
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States, second only to headaches. Each year, Americans spend more than $50 billion on lower back pain alone. The good news is that although some conditions that cause neck and back pain cannot be eliminated, the prevalence of chronic pain has led to a great deal of research into causes and treatments.
One of the benefits of being a Sutter patient is access to the comprehensive scope of services - from yoga classes to weight-loss programs, chronic pain management specialists to sophisticated spine surgery using the latest technology. The first step to alleviating pain is scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician to begin diagnosing the exact cause.
Chronic pain health information
Our Healthwise section offers a wealth of information on causes and care of chronic back pain. To learn more, see back problems and injuries low back pain - chronic pain neck problems and injuries and neck pain. Some of the more common causes of chronic back pain are also discussed separately in the following sections: ankylosing spondylitis, fibromyalgia, herniated disc, cervical disc herniation, sciatica, sprain, strain, cauda equina syndrome, spinal stenosis, cervical spinal stenosis, scoliosis, weight management, obesity, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. You can find additional information under spinal diseases in MedlinePlus®, a joint effort of the National Institutes of Health and the National Library of Medicine.