Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Back Injuries
Your back is made of bones, muscles, and other tissues extending from your neck to your pelvis. Back injuries can result from sports injuries, work around the house or in the garden, or a sudden jolt such as a car accident. The lower back is the most common site of back injuries and back pain. Common back injuries include :
- Sprains and strains
- Herniated disks
- Fractured (broken) vertebrae
These injuries can cause pain and limit your movement. Treatments vary but might include medicines, icing, bed rest, physical therapy, or surgery. You might be able to prevent some back injuries by maintaining a healthy weight, lifting objects with your legs, and using lower-back support when you sit.
It sits within Bones, Joints and Muscles and Injuries and Wounds.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Back Injuries
526 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Study of Individualized, Precise and Standardized Cervical Open-door Surgery for Cervical Spinal StenosisXijing Hospital
- Hernia Sac Flap Coverage of Mesh in Bony-Edged Ventral Hernia RepairMinia University
- Active Versus Passive Sitting, Cognition and EnergyUniversity of Miami
- Transcutaneous Spinal Electrical Stimulation to Improve Exercise Function After Spinal Cord Injury.University of Manitoba
- High Frequency RF Current Effects on Muscle Pain and FunctionAristotle University Of Thessaloniki
- Evaluation of Osteopathic Protocol on Rachialgia, BisCabinet d'ostéopathie Michel Boeuf
Research already completed
- Preoperative MRI and Radiographic Parameters in Medial Meniscus Root Tears and Repair OutcomesKaradeniz Technical University
- Adductor Canal Block With IPACK Versus 4-in-1 Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Knee SurgeryZagazig University
- Epidural and Dorsal Root Stimulation in Humans With Spinal Cord InjuryPeter J. Grahn, Ph.D.
- The Use of Dantrolene to Improve Analgesia in Posterior Lumbar SurgeryBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Establishing a Descriptive Cohort of Patients Cared for Operation on the SpineCentre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes
- The Analgesic Effect of Retro-laminar Block Versus Paravertebral Block in Patients With Multiple Fracture RibsAssiut University
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Office Ergonomics: Your How-To GuideMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bone X-RayRadiological Society of North America
- CT Scan of the SpineRadiological Society of North America
- Spine MRIRadiological Society of North America
Treatments and Therapies
- Back Surgery: When Is It a Good Idea?Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Living With
- Spine Rehabilitation ExercisesAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Back InjuriesNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Back Injuries. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Back Injuries, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.