Common causes of low back pain

    Common causes of low back pain
   

Common causes of lower back pain are degenerative causes: for example, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis.

Muscular causes: for example, myofascial pain, sprain, strain, or spasm in a back muscle or ligament. Mechanical causes: for example, ruptured or herniated disc.

Referred pain: pain that is caused by a process in one part of the body, but is felt elsewhere in the body. Some conditions that can cause referred lower back pain include endometriosis, arthritis of the hip joint, and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Vertebral fractures: secondary to osteoporosis or trauma.

Review Date:4/1/2025
Reviewed By:Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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