Your spine is built of vertebrae to protect the spinal cord and discs to provide flexibility. If a disc or vertebrae is injured, it can pinch or compress a nerve. When this happens, you may notice tingling, numbness, weakness or shooting pain in different parts of your body depending on what nerve is affected. There are also ligaments and muscles that run across your back. A strained ligament or sprained muscle may also cause back pain.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, most back pain is caused by mechanical factors, meaning it is not usually caused by a serious condition like arthritis or a fracture. Rather, back pain is more commonly caused by a fall, increased weight, poor posture or even pregnancy.
You can prevent injury to your spine by developing safe and healthy habits, such as staying active with regular exercise, setting a nutrition plan to help maintain a healthy weight, using proper lifting techniques when moving heavy objects or scheduling regular chiropractic adjustments.