What Causes Low Back Pain and Crick in Back?

Question: Is low back pain always the beginning of a disc herniation?

Answer: No. Low back pain is very common; muscle–ligament strain (mechanical low back pain), disc-related problems, joint disorders, some rheumatic diseases, and more rarely other systemic conditions can cause low back pain. Therefore, it is not correct to attribute low back pain to a single cause.

Question: How common is low back pain?

Answer: Low back pain is very common in the population; the lifetime prevalence is reported to be approximately 60–80%. Worldwide, low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability.

Question: What does “crick in back” mean?

Answer: Crick in back generally refers to sudden-onset mechanical low back pain with restricted movement. Many acute low back pain episodes show significant improvement within weeks; some sources state that a large portion of attacks may regress within about 6 weeks.

Question: In which situations is urgent evaluation required?

Answer: Immediate emergency evaluation is recommended if the following findings are present:

1. New loss of bladder/bowel control
2. Rapidly increasing significant leg weakness
3. Numbness in the saddle (sitting) area

This picture may be associated with cauda equina syndrome, a rare but important condition. Cauda equina syndrome is uncommon in the general population; different frequency ranges are reported in studies.