Back pain can range from a mild, dull, annoying ache, to persistent, severe, disabling pain. Pain in your back can limit your ability to move. It can interfere with normal functioning and quality of life. Always talk with your healthcare provider if you have persistent pain.

Neck pain occurs in the area of the cervical vertebrae in your neck. Because of its location and range of motion, your neck is often left unprotected and at risk for injury.

Pain in your back or neck area can come on suddenly and intensely. Chronic pain lasts for weeks, months or even years. The pain can be constant or come and go.

Causes of back & neck pain

Back and neck pain can have many different causes, including:

• Overuse, strenuous activity, or improper use, such as repetitive or heavy lifting
• Trauma, injury, or fractures
• Breakdown of vertebrae, often caused by stresses on the muscles and ligaments that support your spine, or the effects of aging
• Infection
• Abnormal growth, such as a tumor or bone spur
• Obesity. This put extra weight on your spine, and pressure on your disks.
• Poor muscle tone
• Muscle tension or spasm
• Sprain or strain
• Ligament or muscle tears
• Joint problems, such as arthritis
• Smoking
• Slipped disk (protruding or herniated disk) and pinched nerve
• Osteoporosis and compression fractures
• Problems of your vertebrae and bones that you were born with (congenital)
• Abdominal problems, such as an aortic aneurysm 

Symptoms of back & neck pain

Symptoms linked to back pain may include:

• Dull, burning or sharp pain in your back. The pain can be limited to a single spot or cover a large area.
• Leg numbness or tingling above or below your knee
• Stiffness or aching that occurs anywhere along your spine from your neck to your tailbone
• Sharp, shooting pain that spreads from your low back to your buttocks, down the back of your thigh and into your calf and toes
• Consistent ache in the middle or lower part of your back, especially after standing or sitting for a long period

Symptoms linked to neck pain can be:

• Arm numbness or tingling
• Headaches
• Shoulder pain
• Sharp shooting pain or a dull ache in your neck