Not Sure What's Causing Your Pain? Start Here

My neck hurts, or the pain runs into my arm

• Neck pain and stiffness, worse at the end of the day, no arm symptoms — usually everyday wear and tear. Start with ◾Cervical Spondylosis and Neck Pain - Common FAQs.
• Pain, tingling or weakness running down one arm — a nerve in the neck is likely irritated. See ◾Cervical Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve in the Neck).
• Hands feel clumsy, buttons and coins are harder, walking feels unsteady — this points to pressure on the spinal cord itself. See ◾Cervical Myelopathy (Spinal Cord Compression in the Neck). Don't wait on this one.
• A scan has shown a slipped disc in your neck — see ◾Cervical Disc Herniation (Slipped Disc in the Neck).
• A scan has shown narrowing in your neck — see ◾Cervical Spinal Stenosis (Narrowing of the Spine in the Neck).
• Neck pain that started after a car accident or a sudden jolt — see ◾Whiplash (Neck Sprain from Sudden Movement).

My lower back hurts, or the pain runs into my leg

• Pain shooting down one leg, often past the knee, sometimes with pins and needles — the most common pattern we see. See ◾Lumbar Disc Herniation & Sciatica (Slipped disc in lower back).
• Legs ache or feel heavy after walking a short distance, and ease when you sit or lean forward — see ◾Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (Narrowing of the Spinal Canal in the Lower Back).
• Back pain without leg pain, coming and going for years — see Degenerative Disc Disease (Overview).
• You've been told one bone has slipped forward on another — see No access.
• Sudden severe back pain after a minor fall, a cough, or lifting something light, usually later in life — see ◾Vertebral Compression Fracture & Osteoporosis-Related Spine Fractures.
• Not sure what a "slipped disc" even means — start with ◾Herniated Disc (Overview).

I'm worried about my child's back

• A teenager whose shoulders or waist look uneven, often spotted by a parent or at a school check — see ◾Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.
• A curve in a child with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy or spina bifida — see ◾Neuromuscular Scoliosis.
• A curve noticed in a baby or very young child — see ◾Congenital Scoliosis (Scoliosis Present from Birth).

My problem started after an accident

• A spine fracture, with weakness or numbness in the arms or legs — see ◾Spinal Cord Injury: Paraplegia and Quadriplegia.
• Neck pain after a road accident, with no weakness — see ◾Whiplash (Neck Sprain from Sudden Movement).

Something was found on my scan

• Fever, weight loss, night pain, or a diagnosis of TB elsewhere — see ◾Spinal Tuberculosis (TB of the Spine).
• Extra bone along the spine, found by chance, usually causing few symptoms — see ◾Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis (DISH).

My back pain is part of a wider joint problem

• Long-standing rheumatoid arthritis, now with neck pain — see ◾Rheumatoid Arthritis of the Spine.

I want to understand the basics first

If the words in your scan report don't mean much yet, Anatomy of the spine explains how the spine is built and what each part is called.

Still not sure?

If nothing above fits, or your symptoms sit across two or three of these, that's common and it's fine. Send a message on WhatsApp with a one-line description of your problem and we'll point you to the right page.

This information is for general education and does not replace a consultation with your doctor.