If you experience these more serious symptoms of back pain, it is important to seek urgent medical advice:
- Difficulty passing urine.
- Loss of bowel control.
- Numbness or tingling around the genitals or buttocks.
- Weakness in the legs or arms.
- Severe pain which prevents sleep.
- Tenderness over the spine.
- Unexplained weight loss, fevers, or chills.
Other factors may also be associated with more severe causes of back pain:
- Age younger than 18 or older than 50.
- History of major trauma.
- Previous or current diagnosis of cancer.
- Recent infection.
- Osteoporosis.
- Intravenous drug use.
- Weakened immune system.
