what back pain means
Types of back pain. Backache is most common in the lower back ('lumbago'), although it can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips. Read information on neck pain and shoulder pain, which are covered separately. Sometimes, back pain can be caused by an injury or disease, such as: a slipped disc â when one of the discs in the spine is damaged and presses on the nerves. sciatica â irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, which causes pain, numbness and tingling that travels down one leg.