WHEN THE PAIN STRIKES

An attack of back pain can take several forms. It may occur as a sudden, acute pain at a particular site, and be so severe that you cannot move; it may begin as a dull ache that becomes more severe during the following 24 hours; it may appear as a less painful sensation of stiffness in the muscles down one side of the body.

Back pain may follow a bout of unaccustomed exertion, such as digging a garden bed, or moving heavy furniture at spring cleaning. Or you may bend down awkwardly or with a sudden jerk, and feel that something has ‘gone’ in your back, but not experience really severe discomfort till the next morning, when inflammation will have built up in the damaged tissues. An attack may come on after a spell of mild, nagging backache which you had ignored in the hope that it would go away.

If you have had back trouble before, quite mild and accustomed exertion can cause it to recur; for example, reaching across the car from the driver’s seat to open the passenger’s door.

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