Topic Overview

The following factors may increase your risk for back pain.

Factors you cannot control

• Growing older
• Being a man
• Being pregnant. A woman's back is significantly stressed by carrying a baby.
• Having a family history of back pain
• Having a problem with your spine that has been present since birth (congenital)
• Having a degenerative disease of the spine, such as osteoporosis or arthritis

Factors you can control

• Not exercising regularly
• Sitting for long periods, lifting or pulling heavy objects, bending or twisting frequently, heavy physical exertion, repetitive motions, and exposure to constant vibration, such as from driving
• Smoking. A smoker is twice as likely to have low back pain than a nonsmoker.
• Being overweight (weighing more than 20% over your ideal body weight)
• Having poor posture
• Being under a lot of stress
• Having a mental health problem, such as depression or severe anxiety
• Having an illness or disease that causes chronic coughing

Activities that increase your risk

• Running or jogging
• Skiing and snowboarding
• Sledding, snowmobiling, or tobogganing
• Sports that require forceful twisting, such as gymnastics and wrestling
• Contact sports, such as football or rugby
• Work-related activities that require repeated lifting, bending, or twisting of the back