Symptoms

Signs of a serious problem

You should seek urgent medical help if you have back pain and:

  • a high temperature (fever)
  • unexplained weight loss
  • a swelling or a deformity in your back
  • it's constant and doesn't ease after lying down
  • pain in your chest
  • loss of bladder or bowel control
  • an inability to pass urine
  • numbness around your genitals, buttocks or back passage
  • it's worse at night
  • it started after an accident, such as after a car accident

These problems could be a sign of something more serious and need to be assessed as soon as possible.

Content supplied by the NHS Website

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 23 Sep 2018