Low Back Pain: Check Your Symptoms and Signs With the Symptom Checker by MedicineNet.com

Back Pain Symptoms

Symptom Checker: Symptoms & Signs Index

Terms related to Back Pain:

Ache, Back
Backache
Lower (Low) Back Pain
Lumbar Pain
Pain, Back

There are many causes of pain in the back. Symptoms in the low back can be a result of problems in the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae, ligaments around the spine and discs, spinal cord and nerves, muscles of the low back, internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen, and the skin covering the lumbar area. Pains in the upper back can also be a result of disorders of the aorta, chest tumors, and inflammation of spine.

Main Articles on Back Pain

Causes of Back Pain

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a ballooning or widening of the main artery (the aorta) as it courses down through the abdomen. The...learn more »
Ankylosing Spondylitis Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine. The tendency to develop ankylosing...learn more »
Bone Cancer In the U.S., more than 2,000 people are diagnosed with bone cancer every year. There are many types of bone cancer. The most...learn more »
Coccydynia Coccydynia is an inflammation of the bony area (tailbone or coccyx) located between the buttocks. Coccydynia is associated with...learn more »
Degenerative Disc Disease & Sciatica Degenerative disc disease makes the disc more susceptible to herniation (rupture) which can lead to localized or radiating pain....learn more »
Dengue Fever Dengue fever is contracted from the bite of a striped Aedes aegypti mosquito. Symptoms of dengue include headache, fever,...learn more »
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH or Forestier's disease) is a form of degenerative arthritis. It is characterized...learn more »
Endometriosis Endometriosis is the growth of cells similar to those that form the inside of the uterus, but in a location outside of the...learn more »
Fibromyalgia Fibromyalgia, formerly known as fibrositis, causes chronic pain, stiffness, and tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints...learn more »
Fracture Fractures occur when bone cannot withstand the outside forces applied to the bone. Fractures can be open or closed. Types of...learn more »
Kidney Stones One in every 20 people develop a kidney stone at some point in their life. A kidney stone is a hard mineral and crystalline...learn more »
Lower Back Pain There are many causes of back pain. Pain in the low back can relate to the bony lumbar spine, discs between the vertebrae,...learn more »
Neck Pain Neck pain (cervical pain) may be caused by any number of disorders and diseases. Tenderness is another symptom of neck pain....learn more »
Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis caused by inflammation, breakdown, and eventual loss of cartilage in the joints. Also...learn more »
Osteoporosis Learn about osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density, which leads to an increased risk of bone...learn more »
Paget's Disease Paget's disease is a chronic bone disorder due to irregular breakdown and formation of bone tissue. Symptoms of Paget's disease...learn more »
Pancreatic Cancer Pancreatic cancer is a malignant tumor of the pancreas. Pancreatic cancer has been called a "silent" disease because early...learn more »
Psoriatic Arthritis Psoriatic arthritis is a disease that causes skin and joint inflammation. Symptoms include painful, stiff, and swollen joints,...learn more »
Reactive Arthritis Reactive arthritis is a chronic, systemic rheumatic disease characterized by three conditions, including conjunctivitis, joint...learn more »
Sciatica Sciatica pain, caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, typically radiates from the low back to behind the thigh to below the...learn more »
Scoliosis Scoliosis causes an abnormal curvature of the spine. When the cause of scoliosis is unknown the disorder is described based on...learn more »
Shingles Shingles (herpes zoster) is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Under certain circumstances, such as...learn more »
Typhus Typhus is a disease caused by Rickettsia bacteria. Symptoms and signs include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and...learn more »
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci (VRE) Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized....learn more »
Yellow Fever Yellow fever is an infectious disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Side effects are rare with the yellow fever vaccine....learn more »

Other Causes of Back Pain