Many people have firsthand experience with lower-back pain.
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, four out of five adults will experience significant lower-back pain at some time. After the common cold, problems caused by the lower back are the most frequent cause of lost workdays in adults younger than 45. That's a lot of coughing, sneezing, nose blowing and lower-back pain. Lower-back problems come about frequently in the form of muscular strains and sprains, affecting your ability to walk, stand, lift, twist and bend. The pain is intensified by the fact that most everyday movement is linked to the lower back, so when your back hurts, it hurts to do almost everything else.