Patient Resource Center
Causes of back and neck pain
The precise cause of back and neck pain may be difficult to determine, even when advanced diagnostic technologies are used. Many times back and neck pain is a symptom of a variety of causes, including any of the following:
- Overuse, strenuous activity, or repetitive or heavy lifting
- Trauma, injury, or fractures
- Degeneration of vertebrae, which is often caused by stresses
- on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine, or the effects of aging
- Infection
- Abnormal growth, such as a tumor or bone spur
- Obesity, which increases weight on the spine and pressure on the discs
- Poor muscle tone
- Muscle tension or spasm
- Sprain or strain
- Ligament or muscle tears
- Joint problems, such as arthritis
- Smoking
- Protruding or herniated (slipped) disc and pinched nerve
- Osteoporosis and compression fractures
- Congenital (present at birth) abnormalities of the vertebrae and bones
- Abdominal problems, such as an aortic aneurysm
Conditions
- Back Pain
- Compression Fractures
- Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
- Fractures of the Spine
- Herniated Discs (bulging, slipped or ruptured)
- Kyphosis
- Myelopathy
- Neck pain
- Radiculopathy
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Cord Tumors
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis (spinal instability)
- Spondylosis (arthritis)
Pain and Healing
The majority of back injuries are thought to be ‘self-limiting’ and heal on their own. The intensity and duration of pain will vary based on the severity of injury. Regardless of cause, pain is a part of recovery and can be categorized by general timeframes.
Spine Institute of Connecticut
114 Woodland Street
Hartford, CT 06105
(833) 707-7463
