“Is back pain an emergency?”

If you cannot walk then it is. It is also important to note if there are any associated symptoms such as numbness or weakness of your lower extremities and you need to be evaluated.

Back pain is usually not an emergency if it is related to the spine. If your pain is related to walking, or is positional, and you feel that it is caused by your spine, then I suggest you see your PCP or an urgent care clinic. You may need an MRI. There is one condition that can cause back pain that is an emergency: the aorta, which is the largest artery in our body, leaves the chest, then runs through the abdomen right along and anterior to the spine. If someone has an aneurysm of the aorta, it can start causing back pain. If the aneurysm ruptures or dissects, the patient would die in minutes. Sometimes an aneurysm can be seen on a plain X-ray, sometimes not. But it will show up on an MRI of the spine, which your PCP or an urgent care clinic can order.

Lots of back pain can be an emergency. Chronic back pain for months should be discussed with a primary care physician. If you can’t walk or you have neurological changes it is an emergency.