Back Pain: A Practical Checklist
Back Pain: what is worth doing, what is worth avoiding, and when to stop and see a doctor.
Pain in the lower back, most often without an identifiable structural cause. Most episodes improve within weeks, and resting and avoiding movement is linked to slower recovery.
Key takeaways
- Most common type: nonspecific low back pain
- Imaging: not routinely needed; findings often do not match the pain
- Most useful single change: Keep moving and continue normal activities as far as pain allows.
- Commonest mistake: Bed rest beyond a day or two.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
Do
- Keep moving and continue normal activities as far as pain allows
- Use exercise as treatment rather than waiting to be pain-free first
- Use simple pain relief short-term to help you keep moving
- Return to work early, with adjustments if needed
Do not
- Bed rest beyond a day or two
- Asking for scans for uncomplicated back pain
- Assuming pain equals damage
The numbers behind the list
The reasoning behind both lists, in numbers.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Most common type | nonspecific low back pain |
| Imaging | not routinely needed; findings often do not match the pain |
| First-line advice | stay active and continue normal activities |
| Helpful options | exercise, physical therapy, heat, and short-term pain relief |
| Bed rest | not recommended |
If you change one thing
Keep moving and continue normal activities as far as pain allows. That is the opening item above. Doing only that is still doing something.
Related topics
- Low Back Pain: What Published Guidance Supports (Back and Posture)
- The Evidence on Exercise with Persistent Pain, Without the Hype (Chronic Pain)
- The Evidence on Period Pain, Without the Hype (Women's Health)
- The Evidence on Low Mood and Depression, Without the Hype (Mental Health)
Where to go next
- Back Pain: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- A Q and A on Back Pain
- Back Pain — the reference entry
- Bone and Joint: The Complete Guide
- Falls Prevention: What Published Guidance Supports
- The Evidence on Joint Replacement, Without the Hype
When to speak to a doctor
Call 911 or go to the emergency room for numbness in the groin, buttocks or inner thighs, difficulty passing or controlling urine, loss of bowel control, or weakness in both legs — cauda equina syndrome is a surgical emergency. See your doctor promptly for back pain with fever, unexplained weight loss, a history of cancer, recent significant injury, or pain that is worse at night and not relieved by lying down.
Where this comes from
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases — Back Pain
- MedlinePlus — Back Pain
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarized or generalized beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to your doctor, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 911.
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