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"Muscles Lift the sofa to straighten the rug underneath, carry a case of soda from the car...and you may feel a shot of pain so severe you think you&amp;#039;ve broken your back. Far more likely: You have a strain, sprain, or spasm \u2014 an extremely common cause of back pain. And while you may be in agony, these uncomplicated muscle aches usually ease within two weeks and disappear in six. Discs  After years of wear and tear (or, rarely, a sudden trauma), the gelatinous pads that act as cushions between bony vertebrae can become thinner, leaving back bones with less of their natural shock absorbers. The vertebrae crunch closer together and shift from side to side, putting extra strain on the joints and on the muscles and ligaments that support the spine. A disc may also begin to bulge out, or the gel may start to leak out of a rupture \u2014 a condition officially known as &amp;quot;herniated,&amp;quot; though often called &amp;quot;slipped&amp;quot; (and, if the disc is pressing on a nerve, sometimes by names that can&amp;#039;t be printed here). If it&amp;#039;s the sciatic nerve that&amp;#039;s hit, you&amp;#039;ll feel it down your leg, as sciatica \u2014 which is painful, but rarely permanent. Herniated discs tend to shrink on their own, which reduces the pain-causing pressure. It may feel like three centuries, but within three months, as many as 90 percent of sufferers feel much better. Joints  Your back has small joints, linking the vertebrae, that allow you to bend and twist. If the cartilage in these joints is worn down \u2014 a result of injury or simply use over time \u2014 the bones underneath rub together, causing pain and swelling: spinal arthritis. This generally occurs in the neck (with pain sometimes felt in the shoulder area) or lower back (pain may be in the buttocks or leg). Bones Arthritis, as well as aging or a herniated disc, can cause growths on the vertebrae called bone spurs, which crowd the space through which the spinal cord and nerves run. This narrowing \u2014 stenosis \u2014 doesn&amp;#039;t always cause problems. But when it does, you might develop chronic back pain, muscle weakness, and, rarely, nerve damage. Next:  If the Surgeon Says &amp;quot;Operate,&amp;quot; You Say... Four questions to put to your doctor when the &amp;quot;S&amp;quot; word comes up. Make sure you&amp;#039;re totally satisfied with the answers before you leave. &amp;quot;What would happen if I waited?&amp;quot; While there are some rare conditions in which surgery is required quickly (your spine has become unstable, for example, or you have neurological complications), usually there&amp;#039;s time to give other things a chance to work. &amp;quot;How can I be sure surgery would be best for my condition?&amp;quot; You want evidence; ask for statistics and studies. At ethicaldoctor.org, you can find reviews of many back procedures, along with a star-rating system that tells you how reliable the studies are. &amp;quot;What can I try instead?&amp;quot; A good surgeon should be familiar with other treatments \u2014 and comfortable discussing them with you. &amp;quot;What are the risks?&amp;quot;  If the doctor dismisses possible complications, or doesn&amp;#039;t acknowledge that problems may crop up afterward, run (or hobble) to another practitioner. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a18499/back-anatomy/>