Symptom guide
Lower back
Lower-back pain or stiffness, including pain that worsens with standing or walking and eases when you sit.
Below are the conditions that commonly present this way. This is a starting point for reading, not a diagnosis — these patterns overlap, and some have causes outside the spine altogether. Only an examination can connect a symptom to a cause.
Conditions that may present as lower back
Common, usually self-limiting, and rarely a surgical problem. Knowing which is which matters.
Common age-related wear, and one of the least reliable reasons to operate.
A narrowed canal crowds the nerves. Leg symptoms build with walking, ease with sitting.
One vertebra slipped forward on another. Stable in many people, unstable in some.
Some symptoms need urgent care rather than reading. If you have sudden weakness, numbness in the saddle area, or a change in bladder or bowel control, go to an emergency department.
Request a consultation
Find out what is actually wrong.
An examination is what connects a symptom to a cause. Bring your imaging and any previous operative notes.
One number for all six offices