Back pain is a common medical issue affecting around 9 million people in the UK and results in an average of 12 million working days lost annually. It can vary in severity and intensity, ranging from a constant dull ache to sudden sharp pains experienced when standing up, sitting down, reaching, bending or twisting the torso.
Common causes for back pain include accidents at home or work while lifting heavy objects, or it can develop over time due to age, muscle weakness, and spine degeneration. Back pain can also be a symptom of an inflammatory health condition that affects the muscles and joints of the body.
Types of back pain include:
- Acute back pain: Can happen suddenly and can last a few days to a few weeks
- Subacute back pain: May come on swiftly or develop over time and can last between 4 to 12 weeks
- Chronic back pain: This may come on quickly or develop slowly and lasts longer than 12 weeks
There are many causes of back pain which can occur because of structural or mechanical issues of the spine or through inflammatory conditions such as arthritis or other medical conditions that include back pain as the main symptom. These causes can be further broken down as follows:
Mechanical or structural issues developing in the spine, muscles, ligaments, discs or tendons in the back, such as:
- Degenerative disc disease is caused by ageing when the discs between the vertebrae of the spine begin to break down
- Fractured vertebrae through injury
- Herniated or ruptured discs where the discs compress and pinch nearby nerves causing pain
- Scoliosis or other congenital health conditions that affects the spine
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal column) places pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, causing back pain
- Spondylolisthesis or slipped disc
- Sprain injury to the ligaments that support the spine from improper lifting or twisting
- Strain or injury to a muscle or tendon in the back
Inflammatory health conditions, including:
- Ankylosing spondylitis (arthritis of the spine)
- Fibromyalgia
- Lupus
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
- Osteoporosis, causing painful fractures of the vertebrae
Other health conditions include:
- Endometriosis
- Infections in the discs or vertebra of the spine
- Kidney stones or infections
- Pregnancy
- Tumours that develop on the spine or other areas of the back
Practitioner Development UK Limited offers a range of training courses and practical workshops for medical staff across all disciplines. We recommend the following online course for front-line medical practitioners involved in assessing patients presenting with back pain symptoms.
A13 Minor ailments essentials: Online
With the educational content accredited by the RCN Centre for Professional Accreditation, this course covers minor illnesses and ailments for practitioners confident in taking patient medical histories and conducting preliminary physical examinations.
This course aims at health care professionals who want to focus on the common and not-so-common patient complaints seen in primary health care. This course will help boost the skills and confidence of Nurse practitioners, Practice nurses, Non-medical Prescribers, Pharmacists, Paramedics and other allied health professionals.
This is a three-day course held online and focuses on providing the following:
- Confidence in taking safe, targeted histories for a variety of patient presentations
- Able to assess and identify various common conditions
- Review appropriate additional diagnostics required for accurate patient assessment
- Discuss patient management, including referral requirements for safe practice
