5 Reasons to see your doctor for back pain

Neck or back pain is very common even in healthy adults and usually gets better without a lot of specific treatments. Usually just some rest, ice, and over-the-counter medications for a short time will take care of a muscle strain or certain arthritic conditions of the spine. But if your pain fits one of these descriptions you should consider seeing your doctor sooner rather than later since it may be more than just a muscle strain.

1. It goes into your arm (if you have neck pain) or leg (if you have back pain). 
2. You have numbness or “funny feelings” instead of or in addition to the pain.
3. You have weakness or unsteadiness of the hands or legs, ie difficulty walking, as well as pain.



These are indications that you may have a pinched nerve in your neck or back causing the shooting pain. If so you might also have numbness, “funny feelings” called “paresthesias” or even weakness as a result. This is called “radiculopathy”, commonly known as “sciatica”.

4. The pain gets worse instead of getting better within a reasonable period of time (usually 2-3 weeks) or is persistent and unrelated to bodily positions or motion.
5. The pain is routinely associated with unexplained, seemingly unrelated symptoms such as fever, weight loss, chills, or night sweats.

Muscle strains tend to improve with rest and time. If your pain seems like it routinely fits the pattern in item #4 or #5 you might have a more serious underlying condition such as an infection or even a tumor causing the pain.

If your pain fits one of these descriptions your doctor can take a detailed history and examination and run appropriate tests to make sure you have the right diagnosis and get the proper treatment. They can also refer you to a spine specialist if you need it.