Types of low back pain, their symptoms, and medical emergencies

Please note that this article is information only. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Low Back Pain: Symptoms, Causes, and When to Seek Treatment

Low back pain is one of the most common reasons people seek medical care. 50–80% of people will experience low back pain during their lifetime. Risk factors for developing low back pain include obesity, smoking, repetitive lifting, vibration exposure, and prolonged sitting.

Understanding the type of low back pain you are experiencing can help determine the cause and guide the right treatment plan.

Types of Low Back Pain

There are many types of low back pain, and they can be because of many reasons, but we will talk about the most common ones here:

1. Axial Low Back Pain (Pain in the Lower Back)

Axial pain stays in the lower back and does not travel down the leg. This is the most common form of low back pain.

• Dull, aching pain in the lower back
• Stiffness
• Pain with bending or lifting
• Worse with activity

This type of pain can be commonly caused by a local disk bulge, joint irritation, or a muscle strain. It is often triggered with movement and improves with rest.

2. Radicular Low Back Pain (Pinched nerves/ Sciatica)

Radicular pain occurs when a nerve in the lower spine becomes irritated, often due to a disc bulge or herniation, but this can also happen due to many other things like bony growths, spondylolisthesis, or in rare cases, tumors.

• Numbness, tingling, pins and needles, burning pain.
• Weakness in the leg
• Pain following a nerve distribution

3. Neurogenic Claudication (Spinal Stenosis)

This pattern is commonly linked to lumbar spinal stenosis 

• Leg and buttock pain
• Worse with standing or walking
• Improves when sitting or bending forward.

Spinal stenosis is more common with aging and degenerative changes in the spine.

Medical Emergencies

Most low back pain improves with conservative treatment. However, certain symptoms require urgent evaluation, these can include but are not  limited to:

• Fever or chills
• Infection
• History of cancer
• Major trauma such as a fall or car accident
• New bowel or bladder changes
• Numbness in the saddle area (groin and inside of thigh)
• Weakness in both legs i.e. not being able to lift your leg/ foot, toes, etc.
• Falling
• Changes in gait (Walking patterns)

Severe symptoms such as bowel or bladder dysfunction combined with leg weakness may indicate cauda equina syndrome, which requires emergency care.

Do You Need an MRI or an x-ray for Low Back Pain?

• Most patients do not need imaging for low back pain.
• Imaging is recommended if red flag symptoms are present, or if there isn’t sufficient information from a physical exam to make a diagnosis. Usually in Canada, your family doctor will make this decision.

Abnormal MRI findings do not always explain your pain. Clinical evaluation and symptom pattern are just as important.

Understanding Your Low Back Pain- Summary

Low back pain can originate from muscles, discs, joints, bones, or nerves. Identifying whether your symptoms are axial, radicular, referred, or related to spinal stenosis helps guide treatment decisions.

Most low back pain improves with time, guided physical therapy, and appropriate care. If your symptoms are severe, persistent, or associated with red flags, medical evaluation is important.

If you have any questions, please give us a call or schedule an appointment!