| Back Pain | | | | stress or damage to your ligaments, muscles, |
| Back pain in the lower back or low back pain Low | | | | tendons or discs. In some cases the back pain can |
| back pain is not a specific disease. Rather, it is a | | | | spread to the buttocks and thighs. Simple low back |
| symptom that may occur from a variety of different | | | | pain means that the pain is not due to any underlying |
| processes. Back pain is common and the largest single | | | | disease that can be found. In some cases the cause |
| cause of sickness absence in the UK. Although it can | | | | may be a sprain (an over-stretch) of a ligament or |
| be very painful, it is normally not serious. Low back | | | | muscle. In other cases the cause may be a minor |
| pain means a pain, or ache, anywhere on your back, | | | | problem with a disc between two vertebrae, or a |
| in between the bottom of the ribs and the top of | | | | minor problem with a small 'facet' joint between two |
| the legs. Pain in the lower back is a symptom of | | | | vertebrae. |