It's a good idea to visit your doctor for a check-up if your back pain doesn't go away after a week or so, or keeps on returning. This is a long-term degeneration of the joints making them less able to withstand stress. It is a wear and tear problem that affects most of us as we get older which can give rise to pain in some cases. Osteoporosis Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak, so that they fracture very easily. Pain is a message sent along the nerves to tell the brain that something is causing damage to the body.
Doctors make a distinction between acute pain and chronic pain.
Acute pain usually goes away quickly. It is useful, because it warns you of sources of harm, and tells you to protect yourself while the body heals. Chronic pain can be just as unpleasant as acute pain, but lasts much longer. If you have pain in the same place for 12 weeks or more, it is likely to be classified as chronic pain. Because it lasts so long, it is of less value as a warning.