Low back pain, the most common complaint in the population in United states results in the loss of most man-hours, commonest reason to visit the emergency rooms and the doctor's offices and the loss of billions of dollars in productivity and most common cost of medical care resulting in billions of dollars to the health care industry.

Pain maybe caused from a variety of reasons. Pain may result from destruction, inflammation, strain or irritation to structures of the lower back including the vertebrae that is the constituents of bony spine, such as cancer, infection, epidural abscess, facet joint arthritis or irritation, conditions that affect discs that is the cushioning cartilage between the vertebrae, resulting in herniation, protrusion, inflammation or infection (discitis), strain of vertebral ligaments or muscles of the lower back, compression or irritation of spinal cord and nerve roots, as well as diseases of internal organs of the pelvis and abdomen (spleen, kidney, pancreas, liver). An abdominal aneurysm in the elderly may result in pressure on the vertebral column.

An acute pain, such as muscle spasm and or ligament strain may usually resolve spontaneously in a few days to weeks. However, an accurate diagnosis of the causative factors is a must and if undiagnosed or misdiagnosed can lead to the wrong and delayed treatment, and result in a potential for chronic and intractable pain resulting in loss of work, unnecessary surgery and suffering.