Over 80% of the population will suffer from lower back pain during their lives. Most cases of lower back pain can be linked to a general cause—such as muscle strain, injury, or overuse—or can be attributed to a specific condition of the spine, most commonly:

A number of less common conditions can cause low back pain as well, such as sacroiliac joint dysfunction, spinal tumors, fibromyalgia, and piriformis syndrome.

To obtain an accurate diagnosis for lower back pain, patients will often have to meet with a spine specialist for a physical exam and diagnostic imaging.

Getting an accurate diagnosis of the cause of low back pain is often more challenging than people expect and will often involve a combination of techniques.

Methods to diagnose coccydynia (tailbone pain) and rule out other conditions that can cause similar lower back pain include a detailed physical exam, X-rays and an MRI.

A simple exercise program that stretches and strengthens the lower back muscles can help to prevent muscle strains and minimize pain if a muscle strain occurs.

Juvenile disc disorder, or juvenile discogenic disorder, represents a condition where the endplates of the disc spaces are not strong enough to withstand the pressures generated within the disc spaces.

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