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Causes of back pain

Often it's not possible to identify the cause of back pain. Doctors call this "non-specific" back pain. Sometimes the pain may be a result of an injury such as a sprain or strain, but often it occurs for no apparent reason. It's very rarely caused by anything serious. Occasionally back pain can be due to a medical condition such as: a slipped (prolapsed) disc – where a disc of cartilage in the spine presses on a nearby nerve sciatica – irritation of the nerve that runs from the pelvis to the feet These conditions tend to cause additional symptoms – such as numbness, weakness or a tingling sensation – and they're treated differently to non-specific back pain.

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