Sometimes a pain may develop immediately after you lift something heavy, or after an awkward twisting
movement. Sometimes it can develop for no apparent reason. Some people just wake up one day with low back
pain.
Although nonspecific back pain is sometimes called simple back pain, simple does not mean that the pain is
mild. The severity of the pain can range from mild to severe. Typically, the pain is in one area of the lower back
but sometimes it spreads to one or both buttocks or thighs. The pain is usually eased by lying down flat. It is often
made worse if you move your back, cough, or sneeze. So, nonspecific low back pain is mechanical in the sense
that it varies with posture or activity.
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Most people with a bout of nonspecific low back pain improve quickly, usually within a week or so, sometimes a
bit longer. However, once the pain has eased or gone it is common to have further bouts of pain (recurrences)
from time to time in the future. Also, it is common to have minor pains on and off for quite some time after an
initial bad bout of pain. In a small number of cases the pain persists for several months or longer. This is called
chronic back pain (discussed in more detail later).