Overview
Low back pain — colloquially called "waist pain" in many communities — affects nearly everyone at some point, usually from muscle strain, posture or lifting rather than serious spine disease. Most episodes settle within weeks with movement and simple care. Staying active recovers faster than bed rest.
Symptoms
- Aching or stiffness across the lower back
- Pain worse with bending, lifting or prolonged sitting
- Muscle spasm or tightness
- Pain sometimes spreading to the buttocks
- Difficulty straightening up after sitting
Causes & risk factors
- Muscle or ligament strain from lifting and bending
- Prolonged sitting and poor posture
- Weak core muscles and physical inactivity
- Age-related disc and joint changes
- Obesity adding load to the spine
Treatment & self-care
Keep moving — gentle walking and stretching beat bed rest — with short-term pain relief as a pharmacist or doctor advises and warm compresses for spasm. Learn to lift with the legs, break up long sitting, and strengthen the core once the acute pain eases. Pain persisting beyond about six weeks deserves assessment and usually structured physiotherapy.
See a doctor urgently if
- Pain shooting down a leg below the knee, or numbness in the leg
- Numbness around the genitals or loss of bladder or bowel control — emergency
- Back pain with fever, weight loss or night pain
- Pain after significant trauma
- No improvement after six weeks