Back Pain: Common Causes and When to Get Help

11/7/2025

In the movie “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield share a scene where they complain about their backs being stiff from “all the swinging.” Though it’s supposed to be a joke about getting older, they make a good point—even superheroes experience back pain.

In fact, studies show that 80% of Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives. Some common causes of that pain include:

• Lifestyle and other risk factors. Back problems are more common among people 45 and older, but other factors can contribute to or worsen pain, including smoking and being overweight. That’s because smoking and excess weight decrease blood flow to the spine, increase spinal strain and can lead to spinal and disc degeneration.
• Musculoskeletal problems. This can include sprains, strains, muscle spasms, arthritis, scoliosis, fractures, degeneration or disc damage. These problems can be caused by a variety of factors, including injury, poor posture, age and repetitive motions such as twisting or lifting heavy objects.
• Other underlying conditions. Back pain could also be a symptom of a more serious health problem, including nerve damage, sciatica, tumors or infection. It also could be, in rare cases, referred kidney pain.

Back pain also can be described in various ways, such as aching, sore, throbbing, tight, or even radiating. It’s no wonder that it’s a common cause of missed workdays. But how do you know when back pain is serious enough to warrant a trip to see your doctor?

While you might be tempted to walk off the pain, not taking care of the problem now could lead to permanent disability or delay treatment of a more serious underlying issue like nerve damage or a tumor.

If you’ve been in pain for more than a week, your discomfort interferes with your daily life, you experience numbness or weakness, have new bladder or bowel problems or lose weight unexpectedly, it’s time to think about making an appointment.

If you’ve already talked to your doctor and your back problems are chronic, there are ways to prevent flare-ups as well as find relief when you’re in pain by:

• Applying heat or ice packs. Ice packs can reduce inflammation and numb pain, while heat relaxes muscles and increases blood flow.
• Improving your posture. Good posture reduces muscle and spine strain, improves nerve function and can enhance other aspects of your health, including breathing and digestion.
• Strengthening your core. Strong core muscles, including those in the abdomen and lower back, can help support your spine and posture. Good exercises for building core strength include bridges, crunches and planks.
• Maintaining a healthy weight. Studies show that for every four pounds of weight people lose, up to 16 pounds of pressure can be taken off the spine.

Remember, your doctor wants to help you find and treat the cause of your pain so you can get back to feeling like yourself again—even if you’re not Spider-Man. Take the first step toward relief and schedule an appointment today at nw-physicians.com.

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