Deborah Douglas enjoys walking to work, but usually stops about halfway to rest her back. As a senior lecturer at Northwestern University, the 56-year old is often on her feet—that’s become more challenging since being diagnosed with arthritis in her back, a condition known as spondylosis , last year. “I just hurt all the time,” she says.
Pain radiates into her legs, making her feel miserable all over. Sometimes, it just hurts to move. “I find myself mentally anticipating all the ways it’s going to hurt when I actually have to move.
It’s just not a normal way to live.” Douglas’s condition is fairly typical. About 8 in 10 people will have back pain sometime in their lives—and it tends to become more common after about age 45.
Why does my back hurt? Back pain can be caused by simple muscle strain, or an underlying condition like kidney stones, endometriosis, or cancer. Chronic back pain, especially in middle-age, can develop for several reasons, including degenerative disc disease, nerve root irritation, arthritis or a slipped vertebrae, according to Nicholas Beatty, a physiatrist specializing in spine sports medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Pain seems to occur slightly more often in women than in men, which could be due to anatomy, biology, or a combination of factors , including a person’s environment or job function, Bending, twisting, lifting, walking, or even standing can make it worse.
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