Causes

A common cause of back pain is injury to a muscle (strain) or ligament (sprain). Strains and sprains can occur for many reasons, including improper lifting, poor posture and lack of regular exercise. Being overweight might increase your risk of strains and sprains affecting your back.

Back pain can also result from arthritis and other age-related changes in your spine, from more-serious injuries, such as a vertebral fracture or ruptured disk, and from certain infections.

Possible causes of back pain include:

• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Endometriosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Herniated disk
• Kidney infection (pyelonephritis)
• Kidney stones
• Obesity
• Osteoarthritis (disease causing the breakdown of joints)
• Osteomyelitis (a bone infection)
• Osteoporosis
• Poor posture
• Pregnancy
• Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory joint disease)
• Sacroiliitis
• Sciatica
• Scoliosis
• Spinal fractures
• Spinal stenosis
• Sprains