There are very few things more debilitating than severe lower back pain, whether chronic or temporary, since it will cause great discomfort regardless of how the person moves. Severe lower back pain is the fifth most common reason people visit the doctor and it costs an estimated $20 billion a year in direct medical costs. This could more than double when indirect costs are added.

Only about 10 percent of patients complaining of severe lower back pain have medical causes that may require additional treatment for such things as osteoporosis or disk alignment. The usual prescription of muscle relaxers is typically accompanied by a few days of bed rest and the patient usually returns to full mobility in three to four weeks. For patients still having trouble moving in four to six weeks, a return assessment and additional investigation of severe lower back pain may be needed.

Different diseases and conditions are historically associated with the age of the patient, however there are possible exceptions to all circumstances. Sometimes the cause of severe lower back pain is obvious, such as spending time with hard physical labor or lifting heavy objects, the cause can be fairly accurately determined.

Different Ages Bring On Different Conditions

For person aged 20 to 40, severe lower back pain may be the result of a muscle strain with the pain aggravated by movement. There may also be localized tenderness associated with the pain and a spasm of the lower back muscles may severely prevent motion of any kind. Typically, bed rest and a limit to movement will end the pain, however there is always the chance of recurrence if not allowed to properly heal.

A sharp shooting pain in the lower back in persons between 30 and 50 may be a sign of acute disk herniation that causes more severe lower back pain when standing with a sharp, burning pain radiating into the leg. This may also be accompanied by weakness in the reflex actions. Those aged 50 and over may suffer from osteoarthritis, causing severe lower back pain radiating into one or both legs. Pain usually increases when walking and is less evident when seated.

Infections in the spine or in the nerve sac located at the base of the spine may also be responsible for severe lower back pain, and a visit to the doctor will be necessary to get to the underlying cause of the problem.