Changes to any part of your back—such as ones that may occur with aging, getting hurt, or having other medical conditions—can lead to back pain. It can start suddenly or come on slowly. It may feel like a dull, constant ache, or a sudden, sharp pain.
Back pain can make getting through the day hard, but it can make getting a good night’s sleep even harder. It can be tough to find a comfortable position so you can doze off. And you might not even be able to get in and out of bed without pain.
For the 80% of adults who experience it at some point in their lives, the go-to treatment is often over-the-counter pain relievers, an ice pack, and rest. But while most back pain does go away on its own, there are times when toughing it out at home isn’t a good idea.
Strengthening and stretching exercises for the lower back can help stabilize the lower spine and support the upper body. Examples include the plank and knee-to-chest stretches.
Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC San Francisco are addressing the condition with comeBACK, a study that aims to make advances in personalized treatment for those who suffer from it. The team's first step? Exploring the connections between chronic pain and movement, and in particular, how these experiences vary between men and women.
