Some people feel constant pain and, no matter how they move their body, the pain does not go away. Others feel only intermittent pain. For most people, back pain is short-lived, lasting days to weeks. But for others it may become a chronic problem and last for months to years. When the pain is localized, it is often described as an ache, tightness, stiffness or soreness.
Some patients experience a burning, throbbing or pulling sensation.
Certain kinds of activities or movements may make the pain worse. For example, it may worsen when a person bends, sits, walks, or stands for too long in the same position. It may be more noticeable at different times of the day, for example, when a person wakes up in the morning. When the pain is due to irritation or a pinching of one of the nerve roots as it exits or enters the spine, the symptoms often involve the limb where the pinched nerve leads. People often feel a tingling, numbness, burning, or stabbing pain that begins in the back and then radiates down the limb, sometimes all the way to the hand or foot.