What is a back injury?

Back injuries are very common. A back injury is caused when there is damage to your back's:

• bones or joints
• muscles
• nerves
• connective tissue

This can cause pain and discomfort.

Injuries can affect any part of your back, but injuries most often happen in your lower back. They can also happen to your:

• neck (cervical spine)
• upper back (thoracic spine)
• coccyx (tail bone)

Back injuries can vary in seriousness, depending on the cause of your injury and the damage done. Common back injuries are:

• sprains and strains — when you pull or twist a muscle or tendon in your back
• herniated disc — when a spinal disc bulges out of shape and irritates a nerve
• fractured vertebrae — a break in a bone in your back
• stenosis — the narrowing of the space where your spinal cord sits

Most back pain is linked to minor strains. This can be very painful but will improve over time.

What are the symptoms of a back injury?

If you have injured your back, you may have the following symptoms:

• pain or tenderness in your back
• pain that radiates down your leg
• numbness or tingling in your leg
• difficulty walking or standing up straight
• pain that gets worse when you move, cough, sneeze or laugh
• muscle spasms
• bruising or swelling

A compression fracture of your vertebra can cause a hunched posture and a small decrease in your height.

It's important to find out the cause of your symptoms so they can be treated properly.

What causes back injuries?

You can injure your back:

• in a fall
• in a transport accident — as a pedestrian or cyclist or in a car or on a motorbike
• at work
• doing sport
• doing things around the house or garden
• in an assault

There are many risk factors that make a back injury more likely, such as:

• being male and aged over 45 years
• physical fitness
• poor posture
• being overweight
• the type of work you do
• osteoporosis

When should I see my doctor?

You should see your doctor if you have:

• back pain that does not improve after a few weeks
• pain that is stopping you from doing your daily activities
• pain that is getting worse over time
• worries about your back pain

When to seek urgent care

Get urgent care if:

• You have changes in urinating (weeing) or passing stools (pooing) — you have difficulty weeing or you can't control when you wee or poo
• numbness around your genitals, groin area or anus
• your symptoms are getting a lot worse despite treatment
• you have weakness or numbness in your feet or legs
• you have fever — a temperature of 38℃ or higher
• you notice a sudden change in the shape of your spine or a lump or swelling
• you've lost weight without trying to
• you've been in an accident

How are back injuries diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and general health. They will examine you to check whether the nerves from your spinal cord are working properly. Make sure you tell them if you have any problems with going to the toilet.

Usually, you will not need any tests. Scans and x-rays are usually only needed when you have:

• problems with bladder and bowel control
• weakness or numbness in one or both legs
• risk factors for fractures — such as being female, over 70 years, having cancer, being in an accident, or being on corticosteroid therapy

Scans and x-rays do not usually show the cause of your pain or change how your pain is treated. They may also expose you to unnecessary radiation.

Your doctor may organise for you to have other tests.

How are back injuries treated?

Your treatment will depend on your back injury and how severe it is. Most minor back injuries improve a lot within 6 weeks.

Minor back injuries can usually be treated with simple measures such as:

• staying active — do as many of your usual activities as possible
• simple pain-relief measures

Your doctor may also refer you for physiotherapy.

Staying active

The most important thing you can do is to continue to stay as active as possible. You may find that you can do a bit more each day.

A common myth is that bed rest will cure back pain. In fact, bed rest slows down the recovery period.

Depending on your job, you may need some time off work to allow your back to heal. It's a good idea to try and get back to work as soon as possible. This may be part time or on reduced duties, but it will help you recover more quickly.

Pain relief

You may find that simple pain-relief methods are helpful, such as:

• heat packs
• relaxed breathing

Your doctor may suggest short term pain relief medicines, such as paracetamol or anti-inflammatory medicines. These may help to keep you moving while you are recovering.

Stronger pain medicines such as opioids and benzodiazepine medicines, aren't recommended. This is because they can lead to tolerance and dependence.

You can talk with your doctor or pharmacist about the best pain relief for your back injury.

Quitting smoking or vaping

Research shows that smoking or vaping may slow your recovery. If you need help to give up smoking, you can call the Quitline on 13 7848 (13 QUIT).

What are the complications of back injuries?

Complications from back injuries will depend on the cause of your injury. Most minor back injuries will not lead to complications.

More serious back injuries can lead to long-term disability that may affect your mobility and independence.

Having a back injury may affect your mood. Learn more about where to get mental health support.

Can back injuries be prevented?

Ways to prevent back injuries depend on the cause of the injury.

Adopting a healthy lifestyle may lower your risk of back pain in the future. This includes:

• eating a balanced diet
• doing regular exercise
• losing excess weight
• keeping your bones healthy

There is little evidence to support the use of general manual handling training to prevent back injury or disability.

Resources and support

healthdirect's page on back pain has more information on causes and treatments for back pain.

Mybackpain.org.au has a range of information and resources on managing low back pain.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.