About 8 in 10 people have one or more bouts of
low back pain. In most cases, it is not due to a serious disease or
serious back problem, and the exact cause of the pain is not clear. This
is called nonspecific lower back pain. The usual advice is to keep
active, and do normal activities as much as possible. Painkillers can
help until the pain eases. In most cases, the pain disappears within six
weeks but may come back (recur) from time to time. Chronic (persistent)
pain develops in some cases and further treatment may then be needed.
