The libraryStrength
Fix Your Lower Back
Lower back pain
Also called Back pain, Bad back, Sciatica
Who it's forA man aged 18 to 45 whose lower back hurts and keeps coming back.
When to see a doctor
- Call 911 now: back pain with numbness around the genitals or anus, or new erection problems.
- Also 911: you find it hard to start peeing, cannot pee or cannot control when you pee. Or you do not notice when you need to poop, or cannot control when you poop.
- Also 911: weakness or numbness in both legs, sciatica on both sides, chest pain, or back pain after a serious accident. Do not drive yourself.
- Urgent care or your doctor the same day: back pain with fever or feeling shivery and unwell, or severe pain that starts suddenly or gets worse quickly.
- Your doctor soon: you have had cancer, taken steroid tablets for a long time, or lost weight without trying. The same if the pain is worse at night, not eased by rest, or there is a lump.
- Your doctor: pain that has not improved after a few weeks of home care, that stops your daily life, or leg pain that is getting worse.
- Back pain that began before 45 and has lasted over 3 months: count the signs. Waking in the second half of the night, buttock pain, or easing with movement: ask about a rheumatologist.
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. This is self-education. Every dose on this page is the one a trial or a label used, quoted from it. It is not a prescription. Talk to a physician who has your history before any medicine or procedure. Call 911 at once for numbness around the genitals, or bladder or bowel change.