Back Pain Conditions

A plain-language guide to the most common causes of back pain — what they are, what they feel like, and what genuinely helps. Each page is written by an experienced spinal care practitioner and includes a link to the myBackPain assessment for a personalised report.

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Mechanical and Structural Conditions

Sciatica
Shooting or burning pain from the lower back into the leg. One of the most common and most treatable presentations.
Disc Herniation (Slipped Disc)
90% of cases resolve without surgery. What a slipped disc actually is and how it heals.
Facet Joint Syndrome
A cause of up to 40% of chronic back pain cases — frequently missed and highly treatment-responsive.
Degenerative Disc Disease
Found on most MRI scans over 40 — but does not always cause pain. What it means and what to do.
Spinal Stenosis
The leading cause of leg pain and walking difficulty in adults over 60. Why it causes symptoms with walking, not at rest.
Back Strain
The most common cause of acute back pain. How to recover well and prevent recurrence.

Pelvic and Hip Conditions

Sacroiliac Joint Pain
A frequently overlooked cause of lower back and buttock pain — often mistaken for sciatica or a lumbar problem.
Hip Osteoarthritis and Back Pain
Why the hip is often the hidden cause of back pain — and what changes when it is correctly identified.

Bone Health

Osteoporosis and Back Pain
3 million people in the UK have osteoporosis — most are undiagnosed. How bone thinning affects the spine and what to do.

Safety — When to Seek Urgent Help

Most back pain is not dangerous. But a small number of presentations need prompt medical attention. The following symptoms should never be ignored:

⚠ Cauda Equina Syndrome
Bladder or bowel changes alongside back pain, or numbness between the legs — go to A&E immediately.
⚠ Unexplained weight loss with back pain
See your GP this week. This combination requires investigation to exclude serious causes.
⚠ Fever alongside back pain
Infection can affect the spine. Fever with back pain needs same-week medical assessment.

Get your personalised back pain report

The myBackPain assessment identifies the most likely cause of your pain based on your specific answers — not a generic explanation. £12.99 • Results in minutes • No subscription.

Take the Assessment →