Low back pain is serious if the underlying cause threatens your life or could leave you with permanent nerve damage unless you act now; fortunately, that is almost never the case. But almost is not good enough when we are talking about life or limb.
As it turns out, low back pain is SERIOUS if it is caused by 4 underlying conditions. The 4 causes of SERIOUS low back pain are:
Instability. The structure of the spine is damaged in a way that it can no longer protect the underlying neural elements. Instability is usually due to an accident.
Cancers. A tumor can start or spread to the spine. Thankfully cancer of the spine is extremely rare and can usually be detected with a simple x-ray.
Infection. Bacterial, fungal, or even mycoplasma infection of discs can spread to the bones and cause permanent nerve damage. Your spine is normally resistant to infection. Most people with disc infections are already unhealthy due to drug addiction or even immunosuppression.
Giant herniated discs. Nerve root damage can happen due to herniated discs. If enough nerve roots are compressed, you get cauda equina syndrome which is:
Urinary retention
Numbness everywhere a saddle touches your private parts
Sciatica in both legs
Numbness and weakness in the legs
In this video we explain how to know when SEVERE low back pain is an urgent medical emergency and what to do if you have SEVERE low back pain.
To read more check our blog on the topic here:
Pay special attention to any red flags.
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There is no sign of cancer in me.
Can you suggest anything. X rays n stuff show nothing. I had a colonoscopy that was needed it transpires, hoping that might be the cause. It wasnt. I had a 11cm cyst removed that was touching the kidney. That wasnt the cause. Ive got a 4cm cyst inside the top of the left kidney. Could that be the/ a cause ?
I dont smoke. I dont drink alcohol. I exercise gently, regularly, no drugs other than prescribed for dvt. Epilepsyand herbal zeaxanthin and lutein, for macular debeneration. I forgot to say. Im 87, but in good condition generally
The pain is not fixed. Sometimes left flank then it moves to mid left side. Today its been in all tberee, spine mid left side bacl and laftbside flank. Fir the ladt hour or so its been all tbree at ince. If i move it causes a shooting pain from somewhere into the heart of the pain. What can I do
Even your bloody jerky music at the start jeked and uncreased the pain I have right now, so far this attack has lasted four days and nights and if i get to sleep wakes me up, when I take more paracetomol, which doesnt touch it. Its so painful right now my face and head is clise on sweating. Id describe it as 9/10, but it doest when a sharp increase comes, go to ten. Ive had all sorts of tests over three years. Its much more severe now. I dont know what to do.
Shaky weaknesses and a few other things he mentioned are scary. It seems like it got worse after 50.
I have lower back pain l4, l5, S1 disc bulge since 2010, first few years the pain goes in the left leg and after 2021 i have hip pain on the right side, upper hip or sometimes deep inside mid hip section. I have tried physiotherapy for several months and medicines for years and chiropractor sessions but nothing works on me, especially all those exercises on youtube, each and everyone makes my condiotion more and more worse. No exercise or extension works on me, not a single one, you can name any of it, i have tried all of them. I'm 30 years old now and still in severe pain and lying down right now because of that i can't move and writing this. 😣😣
Just seeing this. I have a serious lower back pain that has robbed me of my happiness, sleep and peace. It hurts when i sit, stand,kneel,lie,bend…i have gone for an xray but i was told all was normal. I am tired of pain reliefs because they dont work at all. And im in my 20s ,i am scared i miht not walk later in my life because its too unbearable. I dont know what to do. What should i do. I need help
I have spinal stenosis plus spondolithiasis at l5 s1 I am in terrible pain have had previous fusions
i recently slipped going down the stairs and landed on lower left back as well as landing on my butt. i felt pain but the adrenaline hit quickly, it knocked the wind the out of me too. i got up and managed to get to the couch before the all the pain hit and it was so painful 10/10. i needed back support right away and have made a small brace for my back to keep pressure away from my lower back, any small twist from my lower back causes electric hot pain down my back and the side of my hip. ive been dealing with this since monday (its thursday night, also turky day) and its getting better everyday but i still cant put any pressure on my back, im still in a brace, i can use my arms to lift myself up, im using a walker currently to get around but its a two man job getting me into and out of bed because my back needs to be straight with my hip. im starting to get more and more worried. should i go to the hospital?
You know hearing all that it sure makes me wonder if some of these people that are on SSI for their injuries need to get reevaluated or not you know what I mean because I sure see a lot of manipulation going on in the world and I am tired of looking like a bad guy for having real pain and looking like a bad guy again for nothing while for nothing looking like a bad guy again for nothing a bad guy again for nothing well maybe some people need to get reevaluated let me think on that for a minute the way they think too often
Now I'll tell you what some of these people that complain about back pain I challenged them to a comparison of whose backs worth I got a chiropractor I'm going to today if they would like to do that
I have several disc bulges in both cervical spine and lower spine both cause debilitating pain in both shoulders, neck, elbows, fingers, sciatica right leg pain and pain in both feet.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought you were a cervical spine specialist not lower spine that would be orthopaedic.
I am just feeling all of a sudden pain in lower back (lumber part) and every pain gets transmitted to my knees and thighs. Is this the end of my life? 😵💫😭😰😭
He's a joke
The ER doesn't help
I have chiari malformation with crowding and bulging disc at neck with herniation of 9mm 12mm of my brain , lower bulging disc L2 L3 L4
Pain and pain can mentally fuck u
I'm forced to wonder why when doctors look at my x-ray and say , Lots of deterioration of spine but then say Nothing We Can Do About It. Meanwhile intense pain, numb feet, and problems with urination [ as in if back hurts, can't go ]. Makes me wonder if the fix is related to the size of my wallet
My doctor told me that I was nuts and that I needed to get a better straight jacket.
Oh…one more thing that indicates that it's serious…you land on your ass on the floor and can't get your ass up off the floor. Serious.
Waking up suddenly not being able to feel my legs and literally wetting myself apparently wasn't serious according to my GP. After my friend taking me to hospital anyway it turned out I had Cauda Aquina syndrome and had emergency lumbar laminectomy. I just wish more GPs can recognise the red flags rather than just hand out the cards.
I wish I'd seen this 6 weeks ago. I had fever, nausea, upper back pain, kept feeling like I was going to faint & could not stop peeing. Like 10 times an hour. Dr gave me antibiotics as it mimicked a kidney infection. Did not stop anything but the fever. Then he said "I don't know what's wrong with you, go to Emergency if it gets worse". Once I asked why I was getting full body muscle spasms & not able to walk/sit/lie/sleep. Saw another Dr. No explanation for anything. Ultrasound for kidneys showed nothing. Then CT scan. Showed 3 disc bulges. L3 L4, L4 L5, L5 S1. No explanation as to what the medical terms were "Just getting older. I'm in my mid forties. And just said to get Cortisone injections. With no information as to what/how/why. Desperate, I did it anyway & fainted during the process. It did, however, help the muscle spasms but I've had no real help or advice since. The radiologist report I have been going over myself & looking things up. Stenosis. Osteoarthritis. Arthritis. I have had no significant information from the Dr, or any real help. Thank goodness for YouTube & Google. Physiotherapy & Chiro soon. But in the meantime I'm taking vitamins, eating very healthy, etc. It's been really emotionally draining to have to sort things out myself but I have no choice. Healthcare is terrible. If I had the money, I would sue my Dr.
I HAVE PAIN ONLY DOWN MY LEFT LEG, A BURNING THAT GOES OFF AND ON BUT IS ALSO VERY SENSITIVE TO THE TOUCH. NEXT WEEK I AM GOING TO GET SHOTS OF STEROIDS NON SURGELY PROCEDURE.
Lets not take advise from an obese Doctor
I have severe scoliosis and osteoporosis, told by my G.P it's just wear and tear, we all get that as we get older but it annoys me intensely that the medical profession just don't want to know. My pain has on occasion made feel like ending it all as I know it will get worse over time, if it was'nt for my family that would be it. You have to experience back pain to understand the severity of it, it can be devastating. For all you lovely people in chronic pain you have my deepest sympathy and I hope you get the help you need, help is out there. God bless you all.😮💨👃
I have a fixable issue but it's not so simple from what I've noticed. So I know my pain comes from my bed. I live in Brazil now and unfortunately the quality of furniture is very low. Every time I visit the US I sleep wonderfully on my mom's old mattress meanwhile my brand new ones in Brazil make me feel like I'm one bad movement away from hurting myself real bad. It freaks me out and effects my daily life because suddenly I'm unable to twist my body or arch my back without pain. Also, going from sitting to standing is difficult as well. I'm only 33!
Level.3 accident Colorado back pain and in legs never went away comes and goes but lately been hurting a lot can't do anything if I move the wrong way it stabs and left and right hip I was ejected out of the back window of a car had internal bleeding didn't know until I got home took a bite from fried bread and threw up blood like the exorcist and the doctor says im the lucky 1 percent my pain says otherwise !!!!
Thunks doc for information.
I have had chronic back pain for 15 years. It has only gotten worse over time. Doctors do nothing to help me. All they want to do is give shots in my back. They do not work. They are worthless.
The guy doesn't look that healthy himself…
I've had an x ray and all the lab tests but my leg hurts so bad I cry and certainly can not walk but I don't know what good going to the ER would do
hi there… so about a week ago i felt mild pain ony left side under my shoulder blade and now my middle back feels stiff and hurts with slight tingling. my right lower back now hurts but it tolerable… my knees have this tingling sensation that's worrying me and my shoulder blades really hurt. should i be worried?