So your back hurts...

Front cover of So Your Back Hurts booklet, showing a blue-tinted close-up of a bare back

Published: January 2010

This booklet contains evidence-based information, drawn from the research literature before 2010, on how people can live with short-term (acute) low-back pain. It contains reassuring advice about the course of typical back pain, as well as information on choosing the right treatment, what works and what doesn’t, and some common myths about back pain.

Who should use this booklet

Doctors can use this booklet to help them describe acute low-back pain to their patients and provide recommendation for care. They can also give the booklet to their patients to reassure them about the likely course of their back pain and to begin conversations about next steps and what to expect. People with low-back pain can also access the booklet on their own to learn more about the nature and treatment of low-back pain.