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Illustrated Health Encyclopedia
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Ency. home > Disease > N > Nonspecific back pain

Nonspecific back pain    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Back pain - nonspecific

Definition:

Pain in the back from an unknown cause.

Causes and Risks

Back pain is one of the most common complaints heard by practitioners with a lifetime incidence of 65-80%. That means nearly 4 out of 5 people will experience back pain at some time in their life. The vast majority of these cases do not have a definable cause for their pain. This is an important, common problem and the annual cost of treating this pain runs in the tens of billions of dollars.

Back pain can develop from a number of causes, including muscular strain, injury to the back, overuse, muscular disorders, pressure on a nerve root, poor posture, and many others. Women who have been pregnant, smokers, workers who repetitively lift heavy items and construction workers all have increased risk of back pain. Nonspecific back pain is back pain that occurs but a definitive cause cannot be identified. (See also low back pain).

Ency. home > Disease > N > Nonspecific back pain

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