What Is Low Back Pain?
Low back pain affects the area from the bottom of your ribs to your buttocks and may vary from dull aching sensations to shooting or radiating pains. In most cases, low back pain falls into one of the following categories: acute, subacute, or chronic.
Acute pain lasts for a short period, while subacute can last for several weeks or months. Chronic low back pain refers to pain that prevails for more than 12 weeks or occurs on a daily basis.
Low back pain can also be described as mechanical or radicular. Mechanical pain results from trauma to or the overuse of bones, muscles, ligaments, or joints, while radicular pain is caused by nerve damage.