An acute episode of back pain will affect eight in 10 adults at some point in their lifetime. Back pain is the second most common cause of missed workdays because of illness and the most common cause of disability between the ages of 19 and 45.

The majority of the episodes of back pain are the result of muscular strain. These episodes will usually resolve with time because muscles have a good blood supply to bring back the necessary nutrients and proteins for healing to occur. In fact, half of the episodes of back pain clear up within two weeks, and 90 percent are gone within three months.

The remaining 10 percent fall into a category called chronic back pain. A majority of these cases are the result of disorders involving the spine.

The good news is that chronic back problems can be treated effectively to limit the impact on your day-to-day life.

But, there are far too many causes of back and neck pain for any one type of medical practice or practitioner to have all the answers.