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Published on: 8/15/2024

When Should I Go to See a Doctor about My Back Pain?

Dr_Kenji_Taylor

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

If you have persistent worsening back pain you should see your healthcare provider particularly if accompanied by difficultly walking or standing, or a loss of bowel or bladder control.

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Explanation

Talk to your health care provider if you have persistent worsening back pain. You may need to seek care more urgently or even emergency services if the pain is accompanied by an inability to catch your breath, fevers/chills, difficultly walking or standing, or a loss of bowel or bladder control. While back pain is generally benign it can also be life-threatening. And it is certainly not comfortable. If you have concerns, talk with your health care provider.

(References)

  • Edwards J, Hayden J, Asbridge M, Gregoire B, Magee K. Prevalence of low back pain in emergency settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2017 Apr 4;18(1):143. doi: 10.1186/s12891-017-1511-7. PMID: 28376873; PMCID: PMC5379602.

  • Knezevic NN, Candido KD, Vlaeyen JWS, Van Zundert J, Cohen SP. Low back pain. Lancet. 2021 Jul 3;398(10294):78-92. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00733-9. Epub 2021 Jun 8. PMID: 34115979.

  • Urits I, Burshtein A, Sharma M, Testa L, Gold PA, Orhurhu V, Viswanath O, Jones MR, Sidransky MA, Spektor B, Kaye AD. Low Back Pain, a Comprehensive Review: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2019 Mar 11;23(3):23. doi: 10.1007/s11916-019-0757-1. PMID: 30854609.

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