Back Pain - Low

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Call your Health Care Provider if

Call your local emergency number (such as 911) if you have lost bowel or bladder control.

Otherwise, call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Unexplained fever along with your back pain.
• Your back pain started after a severe blow or fall.
• There is redness or swelling on the back or spine.
• The pain travels down your legs below the knee.
• You have weakness or numbness in your buttocks, thigh, leg, or pelvis.
• You have burning with urination or blood in your urine.
• You have been losing weight unintentionally.
• You use steroids or intravenous drugs.
• Your pain is worse when you lie down or pain awakens you at night.
• Your pain is very sharp.
• You have never had or been evaluated for back pain before.
• You have had back pain before but this episode is distinctly different.
• This episode of back pain has lasted longer than four weeks.

If any of these symptoms are present, your doctor will carefully check for any sign of infection (like meningitis, abscess, or urinary tract infection), ruptured disk, spinal stenosis, hernia, cancer, kidney stone, twisted testicle, or other serious problem.